ClubFloyd Transcript: Recluse by Stephen GorrellAs played on ifMUD on April 20, 2008

The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each week at a pre-arranged time, a group of people meet online to cooperatively play a game of interactive fiction.
Below is a transcript of Recluse, written by Stephen Gorrell. Recluse was released in 2008, approximately one month before it was explored by ClubFloyd, and was not released as part of any competition. You can learn more about the game, including how to download it, by visiting the IFwiki.
WARNING! Below you will find a transcript of people playing this game, and it goes without saying that the transcript is full of spoilers. So, if you've never played this game, and think you might like to at some point, I do not recommend reading any further. Instead, you might want to return to the interactive fiction page.

ToyShop & Floyditorium

#ClubFloyd Discussion

DavidW says, "ok, Perry's logging now."

DavidW says, "My coffee's not ready yet, but we should probably start anyway."

DavidW says, "Today's game is ClubFloyd's first TADS 3 game, Recluse, released only recently."

DavidW says, "Hopefully this will all work (cross fingers)."

Taleslinger crosses fingers.

DavidW asks, "Everyone ready?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "load recluse"

Floyd | Welcome to the Cheap Glk Implementation, library version 0.9.0.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton, archeologist, explorer, inventor, mathematician,
Floyd | philosopher. Director, Winton Antiquities Research Foundation.
Floyd | Chairman of the Board, Winton International. Holder of thirty-seven
Floyd | patents in fields as diverse as Genetics and Game Theory. Rumored to
Floyd | have the largest privately-held collection of historical artifacts in
Floyd | the world.
Floyd |
Floyd | You're looking forward to the chance to actually meet the legendary
Floyd | man. Your errand is trivial - special private courier assigned to
Floyd | deliver a small, sealed package, in-person delivery required, contents
Floyd | unknown. Your task is made a bit more difficult because immediately
Floyd | following the death of J. Daggett's lovely young bride Emmeline some
Floyd | three years ago, he quietly withdrew into the depths of his
Floyd | magnificent Gothic mansion, and no one has had any direct contact with
Floyd | him since.
Floyd |
Floyd | Following his withdrawal, the world added one more title to Mr.
Floyd | Winton's extensive list of accomplishments...
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | RECLUSE
Floyd | Ver. 1.0, 03-18-2008
Floyd | Copyright (c) 2008 by Stephen Gorrell
Floyd |
Floyd | You may type INSTRUCTIONS, TIPS, HINTS, ABOUT, LICENSE, or CREDITS at
Floyd | any time to view additional information about the game, or HELP to
Floyd | redisplay this message.
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your car broke down a mile up the road, and you're eager to complete
Floyd | your delivery and get started on your long walk back to town. You
Floyd | can't see a bell or buzzer of any kind near the doors, so you might as
Floyd | well try knocking.
Floyd |
Floyd | (First-time players are encouraged to view the TIPS before
Floyd | proceeding.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga asks, "how do you hold a patent in game theory?"

DavidW says, "It belatedly occurs to me I should've prearranged a site for hosting the maps that came with this game. Hopefully they're optional."

Taleslinger asks, "should we try the tips?"

DavidW says, "sure"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "tips"

Floyd | RECLUSE Playing Tips
Floyd |
Floyd | The following tips provide general advice about playing RECLUSE. No
Floyd | specific information about any game task or puzzle is provided, but
Floyd | they may help you think of some additional things to try if you're
Floyd | stuck.
Floyd |
Floyd | 1. If an object has something written on it you may need to type
Floyd | "read [object]" to read it. Typing "examine [object]" will only
Floyd | include the readable text if the object's primary purpose is to be
Floyd | read (like a sign or plaque).
Floyd |
Floyd | 2. Likewise, if an object conceals something you will usually need to
Floyd | type "look in/under/behind [object]" or "search [object]" to find it.
Floyd | Typing "examine [object]" will show you a description of the object,
Floyd | not what it's hiding.
Floyd |
Floyd | 3. Examine everything. If components or additional items are
Floyd | mentioned in the description examine those too. Even if you don't
Floyd | discover anything new some of the descriptions can be entertaining.
Floyd |
Floyd | 4. Try everything. Drink some water, kiss a creature, toss a coin
Floyd | into a fountain, whatever pops into your head. Many objects provide
Floyd | custom responses to actions that are reasonable for the object (like
Floyd | drinking water) but unnecessary to the game. You can always type UNDO
Floyd | if it backfires on you.
Floyd |
Floyd | 5. Try things multiple times. Sometimes you'll get a different
Floyd | result on subsequent tries. However, once you start getting the same
Floyd | response over and over, try something else.
Floyd |
Floyd | 6. A number of new verbs are available in RECLUSE. Don't worry about
Floyd | trying to remember them. Most of them are not required to complete
Floyd | the game, and the usage of the few that are should be obvious. The
Floyd | rest are simply there as a player convenience, and to make certain
Floyd | in-game actions seem more natural. They are:
Floyd |
Floyd | ALERTS, ALERTS ON/OFF (manage unwinnable game alerts, ON by default)
Floyd | COUNT
Floyd | DEFLATE, DEFLATE WITH
Floyd | DELIVER
Floyd | DIVE, DIVE IN
Floyd | DRINK FROM
Floyd | GET WITH
Floyd | HANG ON/FROM
Floyd | INFLATE, INFLATE WITH
Floyd | LICENSE (show the end-user license agreement)
Floyd | LOAD, LOAD WITH
Floyd | LOWER
Floyd | PICK, PICK WITH
Floyd | RAISE
Floyd | RAKE
Floyd | REPAIR, REPAIR WITH
Floyd | RIDE/PADDLE [direction], RIDE/PADDLE [vehicle] [direction]
Floyd | SCREW, SCREW INTO
Floyd | SHARPEN, SHARPEN WITH
Floyd | SHOOT, SHOOT AT/WITH
Floyd | SWIM, SWIM IN
Floyd | TIE, TIE TO
Floyd | TOUCH WITH
Floyd | UNTIE, UNTIE FROM
Floyd | WADE, WADE IN
Floyd | YELL AT
Floyd |
Floyd | 7. There is also one standard verb that is critically important in
Floyd | RECLUSE. You've heard it before. I'm going to say it again. SAVE
Floyd | OFTEN! Yes, you can get the game in an unwinnable state. Yes, there
Floyd | are puzzles that must be completed within a certain number of steps.
Floyd | Yes, backtracking to a previous state after using trial and error to
Floyd | figure out how something is done will be required. So don't rely
Floyd | solely on undo. Save, save, SAVE.
Floyd |
Floyd | 8. If you do get stuck try the Hint system. It contains both guided
Floyd | hints that start by offering gentle nudges and progress to outright
Floyd | spoilers, and a walkthrough which is a step-by-step solution to the
Floyd | entire game. The Hint system also contains general (non-spoiler)
Floyd | questions, background info on some of the items in the game, and a fun
Floyd | things to try section. One other feature of the hint system is that
Floyd | it does its best to hide hints for things you haven't seen yet. So if
Floyd | a task requires steps A, B, and C, you will need to complete A to even
Floyd | see the hints for B, and complete A and B to see then hints for C.
Floyd |
Floyd | 9. And finally, every effort has been made to ensure that all the
Floyd | puzzles in the game are "fair." My definition of a "fair" puzzle is
Floyd | one that you either manage to solve in a logical manner, or one that
Floyd | if you do get stuck and ask for help, your reaction to the solution
Floyd | is, "I should have thought of that." If your reaction is, "That makes
Floyd | no sense!" or, "I never would have thought of that!" then let the
Floyd | author know. (See CREDITS for contact info.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "your text a splode"

DavidW says, "My rubber inflatable raft sense is tingling."

maga says, "also, guns"

DavidW says, "hm, yes"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x package"

Floyd | The package is about ten inches long by eight wide, and nearly two
Floyd | inches thick. It is securely wrapped in plain brown paper. It's
Floyd | moderately heavy for its size, and doesn't rattle when shaken. If you
Floyd | had to guess you would say it was a book. There's something printed
Floyd | on it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Ignoring a growing sense of impending doom, you reach out and firmly
Floyd | rap your knuckles on one of the doors. The sound is surprisingly
Floyd | loud. You can hear it echoing down the long empty corridor on the
Floyd | other side. You hold your breath. Nothing happens. You put your ear
Floyd | to the door. Not a sound. Maybe there's nobody home. No, wait.
Floyd | Sounds like footsteps approaching. Yes, definitely footsteps. Long,
Floyd | slow, thudding ones. Uh oh...
Floyd |
Floyd | The doors slowly creak open to reveal a heavyset oriental in a tuxedo,
Floyd | probably the butler. He bears a remarkable resemblance to Oddjob from
Floyd | the James Bond movie Goldfinger. He is not smiling, which is just as
Floyd | well. He probably only smiles while he's torturing salesmen. You try
Floyd | not to think about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Uh... Hi there. Is Mr. Winton in by any chance?"
Floyd |
Floyd | In one powerful motion, the butler reaches out, grabs the front of
Floyd | your shirt, and lifts you six inches off the ground. Holding you at
Floyd | arms length, he demands thickly, "You have appointment?"
Floyd |
Floyd | You can hear yourself stammering. "Uh... Well actually, no. But you
Floyd | see I have this package..."
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler's scowl darkens. Your eyes widen. A moment later you're
Floyd | flying through the air. You have been bodily hurled right off the
Floyd | steps! You barely have time to hear him growl, "Next time, have
Floyd | appointment," behind you before the gravel driveway floats up to meet
Floyd | your pointy head and knocks you silly.
Floyd |
Floyd | After regaining consciousness the first thing you notice is a pair of
Floyd | shiny black boots just inches in front of your eyes. You hear the
Floyd | metallic snick of a spring-loaded carpenter's tape-measure retracting
Floyd | into its case, followed by a rumbling chuckle. The butler, who has
Floyd | been squatting beside you, stands and pulls a little spiral notebook
Floyd | from his pocket. He makes an entry, then to nobody in particular
Floyd | states, "Sixteen feet, six and one-half inches. New record!" The
Floyd | boots turn and disappear from your line of sight, and you hear him
Floyd | crunching his way back up the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear the mansion door slam shut, and he is gone.
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a business card here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x card"

Floyd | It's a standard business card. It must have fallen out of the
Floyd | butler's pocket when he pulled out his spiral notebook to write down
Floyd | his new record.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | PLASTI-SIDE, Inc.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Vinyl Siding with the Iron-clad
Floyd | Guarantee!
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Dwayne R. Splatz
Floyd | Customer Representative
Floyd | (800) 555-KOTE
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hmm... Looks like some poor siding salesman didn't read the plaque.
Floyd | Oh well, not your problem. On the other hand, at least he managed to
Floyd | get himself taken inside. Which gives you an idea...
Floyd |
Floyd | If you just had a few simple props you could easily impersonate a
Floyd | salesman, knock on the doors, and in you'd go. You already have a
Floyd | good start in the business card. Maybe you can find some more of Mr.
Floyd | Splatz's stuff. Yeah, that's the ticket!
Floyd |
Floyd | As you look around to see if there's anything else nearby it occurs to
Floyd | you that you also might want to find some way to protect yourself once
Floyd | you're inside - just in case that torture stuff turns out not to be
Floyd | somebody's idea of a lame joke.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Every tree here looks pretty much like every other tree here, namely,
Floyd | tall and green. None are very close to the driveway or paths though.
Floyd | The groundskeeper must keep them cut back.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hedge"

Floyd | The hedge is very neatly trimmed and much too thick for you to shove
Floyd | your way through.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x path"

Floyd | The path is paved with smooth gray flagstones. It passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x house"

Floyd | Huge. Imposing. More of a palace than a house. Commissioned by
Floyd | Darren Lamont Winton III, J. Daggett's great-grandfather. Designed by
Floyd | noted architect James Renwick, Jr. (1818-1895). Built in the latter
Floyd | 1800's at the height of the Gothic Revival period. The site selected
Floyd | was the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, backed by five hundred
Floyd | densely wooded acres. Like all great estate houses it has a name. It
Floyd | is called Seacliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | The building itself is constructed from dark gray granite. There are
Floyd | multiple towers and row upon row of tall, narrow arched windows.
Floyd | Stonework tracery adorns the walls, eaves, and towers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "Hahahaha Seacliff"

DavidW asks, "how.. how do we know who designed some other guy's mansion?"

DavidW asks, "Are we a tour guide in our spare time?"

maga says, "through the power of wackiness"

Taleslinger disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.

DavidW asks, "well, I guess we have to potter around the grounds and outside the house?"

Taleslinger says, "Maybe it's the kind of puzzlefest where the dates are important later"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search hedge"

Floyd | The neatly trimmed hedge isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look through windows"

Floyd | The Gothic architecture isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You ascend the marble steps, arriving at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You'll have to descend the steps first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You descend the marble steps, arriving at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger arrives, full of funk, but no fun.

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x outbuilding"

Floyd | It's hard to be sure from here but it looks like it might be a garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Is there a way to recap Floyd?"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x hedge"

Floyd | The hedge here is thick, bushy, and in serious need of a good
Floyd | trimming.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "climb hedge"

Floyd | The untrimmed hedge isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x garage"

Floyd | The garage probably started as a carriage house and was converted for
Floyd | automobile use once they became the preferred method of
Floyd | transportation. It has the same distinctive architectural style as
Floyd | the mansion, however its original wooden carriage doors have been
Floyd | replaced with modern steel ones.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | The word "recap" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | (If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing
Floyd | OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points
Floyd | out an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your
Floyd | next command.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "Floyd's recapping doesn't work when he's playing a game, it seems."

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. A large red tool
Floyd | cabinet has been rolled up next to the Jaguar. The lift is currently
Floyd | down.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked in bay two. Its front wheel is secured by a
Floyd | bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "admire jaguar"

Floyd | The word "admire" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cabinet"

Floyd | The tool cabinet is about four feet tall, red, and mounted on casters
Floyd | so that it can be rolled up next to whatever needs to be worked on.
Floyd | It has a flat painted top, four standard drawers for wrenches,
Floyd | sockets, and the like, and one deep bottom drawer for storing bulky
Floyd | items. All drawers are secured by a single small silver lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | Scratched into the paint next to the lock is a small symbol. It looks
Floyd | like the Greek letter Psi, which happens to resemble a trident. The
Floyd | tool cabinet is closed and locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Otis goes home.

DavidW says (to Floyd), "jaguar"

Floyd | The story doesn't understand that command.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "jaguar"

Floyd | The story doesn't understand that command.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x jaguar"

Floyd | The E-Type is a real beauty. Often called an XKE in the States, this
Floyd | appears to be an immaculately-restored early Series I roadster done in
Floyd | British racing green with a biscuit leather interior. It has the
Floyd | E-Type's distinctive long rounded bonnet, oval air intake, and wire
Floyd | wheels. It appears to be the same model as Austin Powers's "Shaguar,"
Floyd | but you decide it looks much better without the Union Jack paint job.
Floyd |
Floyd | The top is up and the doors are locked. It is currently on the lift
Floyd | which is down.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open bonnet"

Floyd | The Jag's bodywork isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x canoe"

Floyd | The two-man aluminum canoe hanging from a wall rack in bay four is old
Floyd | and battered. It's had a few to many close encounters with jagged
Floyd | rocks, one of which no doubt ripped the gaping hole you can see in its
Floyd | bottom. It's hanging bottom-outward and stored up high to keep it out
Floyd | of the way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look in canoe"

Floyd | The hole is too high for you to be able to see into from the garage
Floyd | floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Shall we save now and then as the tips adviced?"

DavidW says, "okay. We haven't accomplished much yet, though."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf1"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "push cabinet to canoe"

Floyd | (first standing in the service bay)
Floyd | The casters make a grating noise on the concrete as you push the heavy
Floyd | tool cabinet under the canoe in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You lean forward and peer through the hole in the bottom of the canoe.
Floyd | It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the dim interior. After
Floyd | looking for a bit you notice the shadowy outline of a paddle lying
Floyd | along the lower side of of the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take paddle"

Floyd | You reach into the hole and grab the paddle. It's longer than the
Floyd | opening and takes a bit of juggling, but you finally manage to slip it
Floyd | out of the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Okay, you're no longer on the tool cabinet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bike"

Floyd | The bicycle is a 50's Schwinn Black Phantom. It has red pinstriping
Floyd | and lots of chrome trim. The seat is large and comfortable, and its
Floyd | spoked wheels are decked out in white wall street tires. The front
Floyd | fender has an integrated headlight, and the rear has an integrated
Floyd | tail light and reflector. Like many 50's bikes there's a sleek
Floyd | horntank mounted under the frame's top tube to give it a bit of a
Floyd | motorcycle look. The classic Schwinn cross-in-a-circle logo adorns
Floyd | the chain guard.
Floyd |
Floyd | The one piece of non-standard equipment on the bike is a small leather
Floyd | pouch attached to the back of its seat. The Schwinn's front wheel is
Floyd | secured by a bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't have that; it's part of the bicycle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 1"

Floyd | Aside from the varying patterns of oil stains on its floor, bay one
Floyd | look pretty much like the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 2"

Floyd | Aside from the varying patterns of oil stains on its floor, bay two
Floyd | look pretty much like the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked next to you in bay two. Its front wheel is
Floyd | secured by a bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | You are standing in bay two.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bicycle lock"

Floyd | The lock has a long hasp that can be inserted through the spokes of a
Floyd | bicycle's wheel then locked to its frame to keep the wheel from
Floyd | turning. The body of the lock has four numbered dials for entering
Floyd | the combination. It's currently attached to the Schwinn's front wheel
Floyd | and locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 3"

Floyd | Aside from the varying patterns of oil stains on its floor, bay three
Floyd | look pretty much like the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 4"

Floyd | Aside from the varying patterns of oil stains on its floor, bay four
Floyd | look pretty much like the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 5"

Floyd | Aside from the varying patterns of oil stains on its floor, bay five
Floyd | look pretty much like the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bay 6"

Floyd | In the service bay are a Jaguar on a lift (currently down), and an air
Floyd | compressor for running pneumatic tools.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Skhye disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.

Skhye arrives, full of neither funk nor fun.

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x lift"

Floyd | The hydraulic lift is the same type found in service stations and auto
Floyd | repair facilities everywhere. Its control panel is mounted to the
Floyd | east wall of the garage. A Jaguar E-Type is parked on top of it. It
Floyd | is currently down.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x panel"

Floyd | (first getting out of bay two, then standing in the service bay)
Floyd | The lift control panel is mounted to the east wall of the garage. It
Floyd | would normally have two buttons, one marked UP and one marked DOWN,
Floyd | however there's an empty hole where the UP one should be. The panel's
Floyd | maintenance cover is currently held closed by a stripped-out sheet
Floyd | metal screw. The panel has a red tag hanging from it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I think it means either the head or the threads of the screw are damaged."

DavidW says, "I'm not sure which it means."

DavidW says, "So even getting a screwdriver might not be sufficient."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hole"

Floyd | (the UP button hole)
Floyd | It's round, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and right
Floyd | where the UP button should be.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Skhye says, "The head is stripped out. I think the threads are in tact."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a paddle, and an inner
Floyd | tube patch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look in hole"

Floyd | (the UP button hole)
Floyd | You bend over and peer into the hole. There's just enough light
Floyd | coming in to let you make out the two electrical terminals the missing
Floyd | UP button should be wired to, but that's about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look under jaguar"

Floyd | You kneel and peer under the Jag. The lift platform blocks your view
Floyd | of most of the area. You'll have to raise it to see if there's
Floyd | actually anything under there.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look in jaguar"

Floyd | You peer through the windows of the Jag. Its Connolly leather and
Floyd | Wilton wool clad interior is as immaculate as its exterior.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "'Connolly'? 'Wilton'? Someone's been shopping."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x ceiling"

Floyd | You see nothing unusual about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "Sounds like resarch, yeah."

DavidW says, "I'm not sure what else to do here. I think we need to explore elsewhere."

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "out"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "uh. There was a 'main part'?"

Taleslinger asks, "Shall we explore that first?"

DavidW says, "oh. no. I understand now."

DavidW says, "The garage is like Shade. The bays are platform subrooms of the larger garage room."

DavidW says, "So going 'out' of bay 6 was like stepping down from a chair."

Taleslinger says, "I see."

Taleslinger says, "This look uncomfortably puzzle-heavy to me, in parts. Like, a huge area and you have to look under / behind everything, hence you miss something."

Taleslinger says, "else. Else you miss something-"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "l?"

Floyd | The story doesn't understand that command.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "l"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Every tree here looks pretty much like every other tree here, namely,
Floyd | tall and green. None are very close to the driveway or paths though.
Floyd | The groundskeeper must keep them cut back.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x benches"

Floyd | Eight benches are spaced evenly around the perimeter of the paved
Floyd | area. They consist of a seat set on two concrete supports.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The life-size bronze sculpture depicts the Greek sea-god Triton. He
Floyd | is shown as a man from the waist up and has a dolphin's tail in place
Floyd | of his legs. He is holding his signature trident in one hand and his
Floyd | conch shell horn in the other. The beauty and level of detail of the
Floyd | sculpture is impressive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I bet there's a psi"

WeirdBeard arrives, full of fun, but no funk.

Taleslinger says, "Wow."

DavidW asks, "Remember the 'trident'-like symbol on the cabinet?"

Taleslinger says, "Yeah."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x horn"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to study the nuances of lawn sculpture later.
Floyd | Right now you have a package to deliver.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Unlike the other plaques in the area this particular plaque appears to
Floyd | be hinged, as though you might actually be able to pull it open. It
Floyd | has something engraved on it.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd |
Floyd | His ship was the giant Triton,
Floyd | the sound of whose conch
Floyd | affrighted the dark-blue water.
Floyd |
Floyd | You remember reading somewhere that J. Daggett's great-grandfather
Floyd | made his fortune as a sea captain. You can certainly understand why
Floyd | he might find the sea-god Triton meaningful.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open it"

Floyd | You slip your fingers under the right edge of the plaque and pull.
Floyd | There is some resistance, like you're pulling against a spring. You
Floyd | hear a soft clicking noise coming from somewhere inside the
Floyd | sculpture's pedestal as the plaque moves, almost as though you were
Floyd | winding some kind of mechanism. You continue to pull until the plaque
Floyd | will open no further, and are quite disappointed to discover that
Floyd | nothing but bare stone lies behind it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The clicking sound stops. You wait a moment, but nothing unexpected
Floyd | happens. As you stare at the plaque you can't help but wonder what
Floyd | kind of mechanism opening it wound, and what it might take to start it
Floyd | running.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to study the nuances of lawn sculpture later.
Floyd | Right now you have a package to deliver.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "close plaque"

Floyd | The plaque snaps closed against the sculpture's pedestal with a solid
Floyd | "clunk." A moment later you hear the faint but unmistakable sound of
Floyd | metal grating against stone coming from somewhere to the west of you.
Floyd | As soon as it stops the mechanism inside the pedestal starts to tick.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "go west?"

Taleslinger says, "Definetely!"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear a faint, rapid ticking sound coming from the general area of
Floyd | the sculpture of Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Maybe we should've saved?"

DavidW says, "no, we'll be saving all day at that rate"

Taleslinger says, "he said something about time-based puzzles in the tips. I thought we should be catious."

DavidW asks, "Do we remember metal on stone anywhere?"

Taleslinger says, "We haven't explored that far."

DavidW says, "That's the problem. We haven't explored. So it's impossible to guess what to be cautious of. I bet the plaque can be 'rewound' for a 2nd try if it stops ticking."

DavidW says, "So I think we should head west some more. There might be a complementary statue in a west lawn."

maga says, "sounds good"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | The plaque has inexplicably moved upwards about six inches to reveal a
Floyd | small recess in the stone behind it. The recess contains a small
Floyd | silver key.
Floyd |
Floyd | Without warning the brass plaque begins to slide downward, grating
Floyd | loudly across the stone as it moves. Within moments it has once again
Floyd | covered the small recess in the sculpture's stone pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "oho"

DavidW says, "god, I'm good."

maga asks, "do we need to jam the original, or do we need to be quicker?"

maga says, "looking back it seems that we're going as fast as we can"

DavidW says, "We could try 'winding' Triton up twice."

Taleslinger asks, "I say jamming the original. We have any strawberry?"

DavidW says, "We gots us no strawberry."

DavidW says, "But here raspberry: pffft"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open plaque"

Floyd | You try everything you can think of to somehow move or otherwise open
Floyd | the plaque, to no avail. It stubbornly refuses to budge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You slip your fingers under the right edge of the plaque and pull.
Floyd | There is some resistance, like you're pulling against a spring. You
Floyd | hear a soft clicking noise coming from somewhere inside the
Floyd | sculpture's pedestal as the plaque moves, almost as though you were
Floyd | winding some kind of mechanism. You continue to pull until the plaque
Floyd | will open no further, and are quite disappointed to discover that
Floyd | nothing but bare stone lies behind it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The clicking sound stops. You wait a moment, but nothing unexpected
Floyd | happens. As you stare at the plaque you can't help but wonder what
Floyd | kind of mechanism opening it wound, and what it might take to start it
Floyd | running.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "close plaque"

Floyd | The plaque snaps closed against the sculpture's pedestal with a solid
Floyd | "clunk." A moment later you hear the faint but unmistakable sound of
Floyd | metal grating against stone coming from somewhere to the west of you.
Floyd | As soon as it stops the mechanism inside the pedestal starts to tick.
Floyd |
Floyd | A rapid ticking sound is coming from somewhere inside the sculpture's
Floyd | pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open plaque"

Floyd | You slip your fingers under the right edge of the plaque and pull. It
Floyd | won't budge. You pull harder, then again with all your strength. The
Floyd | plaque remains stubbornly immovable. Apparently it won't open while
Floyd | the mechanism inside the sculpture's pedestal is still running.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "oops"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "open plaque".
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east.
Floyd |
Floyd | A rapid ticking sound is coming from somewhere inside the sculpture's
Floyd | pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "run west"

Floyd | The story doesn't understand that command.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear a faint, rapid ticking sound coming from the general area of
Floyd | the sculpture of Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | The plaque has inexplicably moved upwards about six inches to reveal a
Floyd | small recess in the stone behind it. The recess contains a small
Floyd | silver key.
Floyd |
Floyd | Without warning the brass plaque begins to slide downward, grating
Floyd | loudly across the stone as it moves. Within moments it has once again
Floyd | covered the small recess in the sculpture's stone pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "okay. The winding twice idea doesn't work."

WeirdBeard asks, "What would happen if you didn't close the plaque, but just went west right away?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x benches"

Floyd | Eight benches are spaced evenly around the perimeter of the paved
Floyd | area. They consist of a seat set on two concrete supports.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The life-size bronze sculpture depicts the Greek god Poseidon and his
Floyd | wife the goddess Amphitrite side by side in an ornately decorated
Floyd | chariot being drawn by two Hippocampi (the immortal winged
Floyd | chariot-horses of the gods). Poseidon is wearing a laurel wreath
Floyd | while Amphitrite is wearing a tiara. The beauty and level of detail
Floyd | of the sculpture is impressive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tiara"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to study the nuances of lawn sculpture later.
Floyd | Right now you have a package to deliver.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "so we can either jam it on this end, or the other end"

maga says, "the other end seems more likely"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "jam plaque"

Floyd | The word "jam" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e.e.e.e"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | East Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "let's go east again"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "hm. no, my idea was wrong."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | You notice a small green grasshopper munching on a clump of grass
Floyd | nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Do we have anything to jam with?"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x grass"

Floyd | The grasshopper finds the clumps of grass fascinating. You fail to
Floyd | see the allure.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "take grasshopper"

Floyd | You lunge for the grasshopper, and miss. He casually hops to another
Floyd | clump of grass and continues munching.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I goofed up. The path west of Triton turned."

DavidW says, "er, east of"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a paddle, and an inner
Floyd | tube patch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | The trees thin quickly, giving way to rolling green lawn as the path
Floyd | bends to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "What if we just open the plaque and not close it?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open plaque"

Floyd | You slip your fingers under the right edge of the plaque and pull.
Floyd | There is some resistance, like you're pulling against a spring. You
Floyd | hear a soft clicking noise coming from somewhere inside the
Floyd | sculpture's pedestal as the plaque moves, almost as though you were
Floyd | winding some kind of mechanism. You continue to pull until the plaque
Floyd | will open no further, and are quite disappointed to discover that
Floyd | nothing but bare stone lies behind it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The clicking sound stops. You wait a moment, but nothing unexpected
Floyd | happens. As you stare at the plaque you can't help but wonder what
Floyd | kind of mechanism opening it wound, and what it might take to start it
Floyd | running.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "The horn is a possibility. Maybe the statue vibrates if you blow a conch nearby."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "Well, it sticks. Maybe if it were to slowly unstick we could race back in time."

Floyd | The word "well" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Oops"

DavidW says, "In which case, we should find the beach that 'Seacliff' is near."

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "and we have no rope or other tieable."

DavidW says, "seems we need to explore more."

maga asks, "explore until we find something promising, then?"

DavidW says, "yeah"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You can't bring yourself to trample through the flowers when there are
Floyd | perfectly good paths available. Obvious exits lead east, back to the
Floyd | footpath through the small clearing; and west, to the east lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x flowers"

Floyd | The flower beds are ablaze with color. Dozens of varieties of flowers
Floyd | crowd against both sides of the path as it meanders across the rolling
Floyd | lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "xyzzy"

Floyd | The word "xyzzy" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search twigs"

Floyd | You poke around through the scattered leaves a bit. The only object
Floyd | of any size you discover in the process is a sturdy forked stick.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take stick"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x stick"

Floyd | The stick is Y-shaped and a foot long overall. It's about as thick as
Floyd | your thumb. It looks like something the local neighborhood "menace"
Floyd | might have sticking out of his back pocket.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "All these darn locks. Someone might think there were adventurers in the neighbourhood."

Floyd | The shed door is just as badly weathered as the rest of the shed.
Floyd | Even so it still looks sturdy enough to withstand any type of
Floyd | brute-force attempt to batter it down. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You try to peer into the shed through the cracks between the boards,
Floyd | but can't make out anything but vague shapes in the shed's dim
Floyd | interior.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x boards"

Floyd | You try to peer into the shed through the cracks between the boards,
Floyd | but can't make out anything but vague shapes in the shed's dim
Floyd | interior.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "pry boards"

Floyd | The word "pry" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take boards"

Floyd | The boards aren't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "hit boards"

Floyd | The shed may be badly weathered, but it's still sturdy enough to
Floyd | withstand any type of brute-force attempt to break through its walls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "l"

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pry boards"

Floyd | The word "pry" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I guess we can't get in here yet either."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull boards"

Floyd | The boards aren't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "let's go elsewhere"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull underimplented scenery"

Floyd | The word "underimplented" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "nw"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | You notice a small green grasshopper munching on a clump of grass
Floyd | nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x birds"

Floyd | You can hear the birds twittering, but you can't see them. They must
Floyd | be in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "Any bets on a key in a bird's nest?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | There's only so much you can carry up a tree. You'd better leave the
Floyd | paddle here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | It's a long climb to the top of the tree. You just hope you'll be
Floyd | able to somehow SAVE yourself should you slip and fall. (Climb again
Floyd | to continue.)
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf3"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | It's been a long time since you last did much tree climbing, but
Floyd | you're willing to give it a try. You grab one of the lower branches
Floyd | and pull yourself up.
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x branch"

Floyd | The sturdy branches here would make a great place to build a tree
Floyd | house. It makes you wish you were a kid again. Additional sturdy
Floyd | branches are within easy reach just above your head.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the ground some
Floyd | twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | A squirrel holding a large acorn darts out of the foliage to chitter
Floyd | at you angrily for invading his domain, then just as abruptly
Floyd | disappears back into the leaves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The word "psi-shaped" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x squirrel"

Floyd | The squirrel isn't here at the moment. He probably left to find a
Floyd | hiding place for his acorn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search acorns"

Floyd | You peer into the hole, but all you can see are acorns. Lots and lots
Floyd | of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take acorns"

Floyd | The squirrel has worked hard for many long months gathering and
Floyd | storing his supply of acorns. It wouldn't be right to rob him of the
Floyd | fruits of his labor. He probably wouldn't miss just one acorn,
Floyd | though.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take acorns"

Floyd | The squirrel has worked hard for many long months gathering and
Floyd | storing his supply of acorns. It wouldn't be right to rob him of the
Floyd | fruits of his labor. He probably wouldn't miss just one acorn,
Floyd | though.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take acorn"

Floyd | The hole is a tight fit, but you manage to squeeze your hand through
Floyd | and grab an acorn from the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | Just as you do the squirrel returns, this time taking up sentry duty
Floyd | on a nearby branch. Apparently concerned by your discovery of his
Floyd | hidey-hole, he watches warily as you paw around among his stash of
Floyd | acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take acorn"

Floyd | Which acorn do you mean, the pile's acorn, or the squirrel's acorn?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't see much with your hand stuck in the opening.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x squirrel"

Floyd | Squirrels are noted for their fondness for acorns, and this one is no
Floyd | exception. He is holding a nice large one. The presence of your hand
Floyd | in his hole has apparently overcome his normal shyness. He watches
Floyd | you warily from a nearby branch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "uh-oh"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "grab squirrel's acorn"

Floyd | The word "grab" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The squirrel is sitting on a branch safely out of your reach. He
Floyd | ignores your clumsy attempt to grab his acorn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "pull hand"

Floyd | The word "hand" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | You seem to have a bit of a problem here.
Floyd |
Floyd | This situation reminds you of something you once saw on "The Discovery
Floyd | Channel." It was one of those endless nature specials, this one about
Floyd | native tribesmen who trap monkeys by drilling a small hole in a
Floyd | coconut and putting a lump of food inside. The monkey reaches in,
Floyd | grabs the food, then panics when he can't get his hand back out. He's
Floyd | too dumb to realize that all he has to do to escape is drop the food,
Floyd | and as a result he ends up in the stew pot.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop acorn"

Floyd | Congratulations! You have just proved that you're smarter than the
Floyd | average monkey. Of course you still don't have an acorn. Maybe what
Floyd | you need to be is smarter than the average squirrel.
Floyd |
Floyd | Satisfied that his acorns are safe, the squirrel abandons his sentry
Floyd | post and disappears back into the leaves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "hmm"

DavidW asks, "I guess the acorn will be needed for our slingshot-to-be?"

Taleslinger says, "Could be."

Taleslinger asks, "What do we do, widen th hole?"

Taleslinger says, "though the text seems to imply we have to outsmart the squirrel"

DavidW says, "no, I think we need to get the squirrel to drop his acorn."

Taleslinger says, "a battle of wits to the last nut!"

Taleslinger says, "I'm sorry"

DavidW says, "Grabbing an acorn in the hole summons the squirrel, though."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, an inner tube patch, and
Floyd | a forked stick.
Floyd |
Floyd | A squirrel holding a large acorn darts out of the foliage to chitter
Floyd | at you angrily for invading his domain, then just as abruptly
Floyd | disappears back into the leaves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sing"

Floyd | The word "sing" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take acorn"

Floyd | The hole is a tight fit, but you manage to squeeze your hand through
Floyd | and grab an acorn from the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | Just as you do the squirrel returns, this time taking up sentry duty
Floyd | on a nearby branch. Apparently concerned by your discovery of his
Floyd | hidey-hole, he watches warily as you paw around among his stash of
Floyd | acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "no. If hitting was correct, it should've hinted at my attempt."

DavidW says (to WB), "Don't know."

DavidW says, "I'd like to go higher in the tree first, before fiddling with the oar."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the ground some
Floyd | twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | As you continue to admire the view you slowly become aware of the fact
Floyd | that you're being watched. You peer around cautiously, then spot a
Floyd | large female robin perched on a branch to your left. She appears to
Floyd | be standing guard over the nest she has built there.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x nest"

Floyd | The robin has done a very neat job of building her nest in the fork of
Floyd | a limb. The usual twigs, straw, tufts of hair, and bits of twine have
Floyd | been woven with care into a sturdy home. Peering into its
Floyd | feather-lined interior you can see that she has laid four pale blue
Floyd | eggs. You also notice that one of the tufts of hair she used still
Floyd | has a bobby pin attached to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take twine"

Floyd | The word "twine" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take nest"

Floyd | Naturally the robin assumes that your approaching hand is after her
Floyd | eggs. As soon as you start to reach for her nest she explodes into
Floyd | the air, and with a trilling battle cry springs to the attack.
Floyd |
Floyd | Her wings beat angrily in your face while a flurry of painful pecks
Floyd | rain down on the top of your head. You swat at her wildly in an
Floyd | effort to drive her back, but she's in her element and has no problem
Floyd | avoiding your clumsy flailing. You, on the other hand, are clearly
Floyd | out of your element. The fury of the robin's attack so startles you
Floyd | that you momentarily forget one of the basic tenets of tree climbing,
Floyd | namely, ALWAYS hold onto the tree.
Floyd |
Floyd | AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE...............
Floyd |
Floyd | In the process of falling you manage to break most of the major bones
Floyd | in your body by crashing into the same sturdy branches you climbed
Floyd | earlier. Your thick skull miraculously survives, at least until you
Floyd | tumble out of the tree and smack head first onto the path below.
Floyd | Twisted and bleeding, you lie under the huge old oak tree and calmly
Floyd | watch the world fade to black around you.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE DIED ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 181 moves, you have scored 3 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "Ahem."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "take nest".
Floyd |
Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs and a bobby pin.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x robin"

Floyd | You scrutinize her closely to determine if she is an American or
Floyd | European Robin, and conclude that she is indeed an American Robin.
Floyd | Her general thrush-like appearance, characteristic red breast
Floyd | (slightly paler in the female), and the little American flag tattooed
Floyd | on her left bicep are dead giveaways.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Just kidding about that tattoo.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x pin"

Floyd | The bobby pin is badly rusted. It must have been lying outside in the
Floyd | rain and snow for a long time before the robin found it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I dunno. That pin might be a red herring."

maga says, "also the fact that American 'robins' are *enormous*"

Ghogg arrives, full of fun and funk.

WeirdBeard says, "If we die, we can always undo"

Ghogg greets

Taleslinger says, "Everything's bigger there."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "Take pin"

Floyd | Something about the way the robin is watching your every move makes
Floyd | you think that right now might not be a good time to be reaching
Floyd | toward her nest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x birds"

Floyd | You can hear the birds twittering, but you can't see them. They must
Floyd | be in the branches below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Can we go any higher?"

DavidW says, "dunno"

Ghogg says, "I think you can but it kills you, but there's always undo"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Throwing caution to the wind, you push ever higher up the huge old
Floyd | oak. A branch breaks and falls away under your feet, but fortunately
Floyd | you were holding onto the limb above it. As you hang there looking
Floyd | for another branch to transfer your weight to it occurs to you that
Floyd | now might be a good time to give up and head back down. That's when
Floyd | you hear it.
Floyd |
Floyd | Creeeaaakkkkk..............SNAP!!!
Floyd |
Floyd | AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE...............
Floyd |
Floyd | In the process of falling you manage to break most of the major bones
Floyd | in your body by crashing into the same sturdy branches you climbed
Floyd | earlier. Your thick skull miraculously survives, at least until you
Floyd | tumble out of the tree and smack head first onto the path below.
Floyd | Twisted and bleeding, you lie under the huge old oak tree and calmly
Floyd | watch the world fade to black around you.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE DIED ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 185 moves, you have scored 3 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "u".
Floyd |
Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs and a bobby pin.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I guess we cannot go higher. At least, not safely."

Ghogg says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, an inner tube patch, and
Floyd | a forked stick.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "what we need is some kind of cuckoo"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take nest with stick"

Floyd | The robin's nest isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "show card to robin"

Floyd | The robin does not appear interested.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take egg"

Floyd | Seeing that you are clearly after her eggs, the robin explodes into
Floyd | the air, and with a trilling battle cry springs to the attack.
Floyd |
Floyd | Her wings beat angrily in your face while a flurry of painful pecks
Floyd | rain down on the top of your head. You swat at her wildly in an
Floyd | effort to drive her back, but she's in her element and has no problem
Floyd | avoiding your clumsy flailing. You, on the other hand, are clearly
Floyd | out of your element. The fury of the robin's attack so startles you
Floyd | that you momentarily forget one of the basic tenets of tree climbing,
Floyd | namely, ALWAYS hold onto the tree.
Floyd |
Floyd | AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE...............
Floyd |
Floyd | In the process of falling you manage to break most of the major bones
Floyd | in your body by crashing into the same sturdy branches you climbed
Floyd | earlier. Your thick skull miraculously survives, at least until you
Floyd | tumble out of the tree and smack head first onto the path below.
Floyd | Twisted and bleeding, you lie under the huge old oak tree and calmly
Floyd | watch the world fade to black around you.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE DIED ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 188 moves, you have scored 3 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "I know of one more item we haven't found, but I don't think it'll be useful here"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "take egg".
Floyd |
Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs and a bobby pin.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hair"

Floyd | The robin has done a very neat job of building her nest in the fork of
Floyd | a limb. The usual twigs, straw, tufts of hair, and bits of twine have
Floyd | been woven with care into a sturdy home. Peering into its
Floyd | feather-lined interior you can see that she has laid four pale blue
Floyd | eggs. You also notice that one of the tufts of hair she used still
Floyd | has a bobby pin attached to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "but I can lead us to get it if you want"

DavidW says, "We should try WB's idea with the paddle before leaving the environs of the tree."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the ground some
Floyd | twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Having reached the lowest branch, you grab it and swing down out of
Floyd | the tree. It feels good to have your feet on solid ground again.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East Footpath
Floyd | The south end of the property is heavily wooded. A single winding
Floyd | footpath starts at the gap in the hedge to the west and runs east
Floyd | through the dense foliage near the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | After a bit of squirming you manage to squeeze through the narrow gap
Floyd | between the hedge and the wall. You make a mental note to reconsider
Floyd | your decision not to go on a diet.
Floyd |
Floyd | Front Gate
Floyd | The gravel driveway widens a bit as it passes through a gate in the
Floyd | high stone wall that surrounds the estate. On the other side of the
Floyd | gate the road quickly bends and disappears from sight behind the
Floyd | trees. The neatly trimmed hedge on the west side of the driveway runs
Floyd | in a solid, unbroken line right up to the wall. But, oddly enough,
Floyd | there's a narrow gap between the hedge and the wall on the east side.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a piece of paper here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take paper"

Floyd | Just as you reach for the piece of paper a sudden gust of wind swirls
Floyd | it up and deposits it on the other side of the gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "hmm"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read gate"

Floyd | That isn't something you can read.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read paper"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "get paper with paddle"

Floyd | It's too far away for you to make out any detail, but it appears to be
Floyd | some kind of sales brochure.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | You can't reach the sales brochure with a paddle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x gate"

Floyd | The gate is an imposing affair made of wrought iron pikes interwoven
Floyd | with decorative ironwork vines. It was standing wide open when you
Floyd | arrived, but someone has apparently closed and locked it since then.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "I think this is one of the 'pretend to be a salesman' items"

DavidW says, "looks like"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open gate"

Floyd | The wrought iron gate seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "climb gate"

Floyd | The tips of the pikes are VERY sharp. You wisely change your mind
Floyd | about climbing the gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "I think the solution here might be finding who closed it and locked it, rather than anything physical"

DavidW says, "I'm not even sure which way the gate faces, or what it's between."

Floyd | That's strange. The gate was standing wide open when you passed
Floyd | through it earlier, but someone has apparently closed and locked it
Floyd | since then.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x fountain"

Floyd | The fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center of the pond.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x pond"

Floyd | It looks like one of those decorative cement ponds that landscapers
Floyd | are so fond of. This one is fairly large, say, maybe thirty feet
Floyd | across, but doesn't look to be more than knee deep. A fountain sprays
Floyd | and splashes cheerfully in its center.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look in pond"

Floyd | You walk around the edge of the pond peering into the water. You
Floyd | don't notice anything lying on the bottom within reach.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "enter pond"

Floyd | Throwing caution to the wind, you step over the edge of the pond and
Floyd | plunge into the water.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Cement Pond
Floyd | The water is surprisingly cold, but thankfully only about knee deep.
Floyd | The footing is a bit slippery, but as long as you're careful you
Floyd | should be able to move around easily enough. The glint from something
Floyd | shiny lying on the bottom of the pond briefly catches your eye.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "hooray"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "take shiny"

Floyd | According to my handy pocket dictionary, a glint is "a tiny bright
Floyd | flash of light." Now you can splash about the pond chasing phantom
Floyd | lights all day long if you want to, but what you might want to do
Floyd | instead is search the pond for whatever it is that's making the glint.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a shiny Lincoln cent, just like the ones that keep cluttering up
Floyd | your pockets. You do notice that it has the original wreath design on
Floyd | the reverse. You don't see many of those any more.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "on the sea, blabla etc. But the putton idea is nice."

Taleslinger says, "And the button idea, that's even better."

Ghogg says, "I also tried using the shiny to attract the bird, but no luck with that"

Floyd | You climb up out of the pond to stand dripping on the gravel driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x me"

Floyd | You look just like somebody who needs to deliver a package.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Wreath sounds familiar, too."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x wreath"

Floyd | You look at the penny more closely. It's dated 1909 and has an "S"
Floyd | mint mark. You also notice the initials "VDB" at the bottom of the
Floyd | reverse. The penny is a lot older than it looks, and in mint
Floyd | condition. You find yourself wondering if it might be worth something
Floyd | to a collector.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg asks, "maybe we can use the penny on the button, but also give it to someone later to trade?"

DavidW says, "maybe"

Ghogg asks, "shall we try the garage?"

DavidW says, "guess so"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "out"

Floyd | What do you want to get out of?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "get out of pond"

Floyd | What do you want to get out of?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I got out of the pond already."

Ghogg says, "oh, heh"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "north"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "north"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "east"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "north"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "north"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently down.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked in bay two. Its front wheel is secured by a
Floyd | bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "go for it."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "enter bay 6"

Floyd | You step into the service bay.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "put penny in hole"

Floyd | (the UP button hole)
Floyd | The terminals are recessed too far inside the control panel for you to
Floyd | be able to touch them with the the shiny penny.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "unscrew screw with penny"

Floyd | The head of the screw is stripped out. You can't remove it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "break screw"

Floyd | Breaking that would serve no purpose.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "pull screw"

Floyd | You'll have to unscrew it first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open panel"

Floyd | You'll have to remove the screw holding it closed first. And since
Floyd | its head is stripped out, that's not really an option.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hinges"

Floyd | You see no hinges here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hinge"

Floyd | You see no hinge here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I guess that's another 'not yet'."

Ghogg says, "I think the only way to get a screw out in this condition is with something magnetic"

DavidW says, "And the most likely place for a magnetic screwdriver is in the cabinet."

Taleslinger says, "Or we're thinking about this wrong."

DavidW says, "no, I think it's correct."

Ghogg asks, "well, we can check triton one more time with penny, then try west of gravel driveway?"

Taleslinger says, "The terminals are recessed too far inside the control panel for you to"

DavidW says, "I don't see how the penny helps with Triton."

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "We open the panel first."

Ghogg asks, "WeirdBeard said something about wealrth?"

Taleslinger asks, "Maybe put it in the horn or something?"

WeirdBeard asks, "Didn't one of the statues have one?"

DavidW says, "If someone has an idea, try it."

Ghogg says, "or maybe you need to turn penny into real wealth first"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "south"

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "south"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "south"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to WeirdBeard), "ok"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x pedestal"

Floyd | The stone pedestal is circular and rises about two feet above the
Floyd | flagstone pavement. It supports a life-sized bronze sculpture of
Floyd | Triton, and has a polished brass plaque attached to the front of it.
Floyd | The brass plaque is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The life-size bronze sculpture depicts the Greek sea-god Triton. He
Floyd | is shown as a man from the waist up and has a dolphin's tail in place
Floyd | of his legs. He is holding his signature trident in one hand and his
Floyd | conch shell horn in the other. The beauty and level of detail of the
Floyd | sculpture is impressive.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "west"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "west"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Darn. Missed it."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You soon realize you're in for a bit of a hike. The path passes to
Floyd | the east of a large greenhouse, then bends northeast toward the cliffs
Floyd | overlooking the ocean. The ground turns rocky and starts sloping
Floyd | downward. Before long you're winding down stairs cut into the face of
Floyd | the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | Crescent Beach Overlook
Floyd | The steps end at wide ledge overlooking the ocean. The stairway that
Floyd | once continued on down the cliff face to the narrow crescent-shaped
Floyd | beach some fifty feet below you has collapsed into a twisted pile of
Floyd | corroded metal. The beach itself is littered with broken shells and
Floyd | hemmed in on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. A rusty iron
Floyd | railing surrounds the overlook and protects you from falling.
Floyd |
Floyd | The way back starts with a long climb back up the steps.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "We've never been north of P & A yet."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "spit in ocean"

Floyd | The word "spit" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x railing"

Floyd | The railing is bolted directly to the rock, and at one time was no
Floyd | doubt very safe and sturdy. However long exposure to the salt air has
Floyd | left it badly rusted. An experimental shake causes one of the
Floyd | remaining bolts to crack and fall to the beach below. You cautiously
Floyd | take a step back from the edge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take railing"

Floyd | Given the railing's current condition it might actually be possible to
Floyd | rip it right out of the rock. However you see no reason to do so.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x stairway"

Floyd | All that's left of the stairway that once descended from the overlook
Floyd | to the beach is a twisted pile of corroded metal on the sand below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x beach"

Floyd | The beach is about fifty feet directly below you. It's a narrow
Floyd | crescent littered with broken shells and hemmed in on both ends by a
Floyd | jumble of fallen rock. You can see a couple of large boulders
Floyd | surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bounders"

Floyd | The word "bounders" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "oops boulders"

Floyd | A couple of large boulders surrounded by thick brush stand against the
Floyd | face of the cliff on the narrow crescent-shaped beach.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x brush"

Floyd | The brush is thickest around the large boulders.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a breathtaking view of the ocean from the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | The stairway down to the beach has collapsed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "If we jump down and live, we'd have no way back up."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "jump in ocean"

Floyd | You see no in ocean here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "jump"

Floyd | You peer over the railing at the beach some fifty feet below. You
Floyd | make a mental note to reconsider your decision not to put The Suicide
Floyd | Prevention Hotline on speed dial.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "Yay reconsider recurring joke."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search shells"

Floyd | The broken shells are too far away.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x rocks"

Floyd | The beach is hemmed in on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. Waves
Floyd | break over their jagged edges.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | All that's left of the stairway that once descended from the overlook
Floyd | to the beach is a twisted pile of corroded metal on the sand below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a paddle, a business card, an inner tube
Floyd | patch, a forked stick, and a shiny penny.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I see no way to continue down from here."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search cliff"

Floyd | The cliffs aren't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "Perhaps there's a tunnel. Or a rope ladder."

Ghogg asks, "have we gone north of the west lawn yet?"

Taleslinger says, "Search somewhere else, yeah."

DavidW says, "no, but I bet the flower beds block you."

Ghogg says (to floyd), "south"

Floyd | The hike back isn't any shorter, and it's all uphill. You're huffing
Floyd | and puffing a bit by the time you make it back to Poseidon &
Floyd | Amphitrite.
Floyd |
Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Stupid question at this point but, what is this?"

Ghogg says (to floyd), "east"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I think we need to find yet another new place."

Ghogg says (to floyd), "north"

Floyd | Greenhouse Entrance
Floyd | The path ends at the entrance to a large greenhouse. Its
Floyd | glass-paneled walls are fogged with moisture. Peering inside you can
Floyd | just make out what looks like long rows of plants, as well as the
Floyd | shadowy shape of a figure moving about among them. There is a single
Floyd | door, also glass, directly in front of you. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | The flagstone path leads back south across the lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to WB), "The game is Recluse."

DavidW says, "huh. A greenhouse."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x figure"

Floyd | You can see a shadowy figure moving around among the rows of plants
Floyd | inside the greenhouse.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says (to floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You step up and knock on the greenhouse door. You see the shadowy
Floyd | figure look your way, then walk over to a table and pick something up.
Floyd | The door swings open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The figure turns out to be the estate's gardener. He is clad in
Floyd | coveralls and stooped with age. He is carrying a pair of hedge
Floyd | clippers. He peers up at you through thick, fogged glasses.
Floyd |
Floyd | "That you Earl? 'Bout time you got back. That hedge by the garage
Floyd | needs clippin', and uh, wait a sec..." He studies you intently
Floyd | through the Coke bottle bottoms he uses for lenses for a moment, then
Floyd | says, "Saaay, you ain't Earl."
Floyd |
Floyd | You decide to try the direct approach. "No, actually I have a very
Floyd | important package I need to deliver to Mr. Winton, but I'm having a
Floyd | hard time getting in to see him. I wonder if you could..."
Floyd |
Floyd | The old gardener cuts you off with a snort. "Nope! Try the main
Floyd | entrance."
Floyd |
Floyd | Once again you find yourself standing before a closed door. So much
Floyd | for the direct approach.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "Looks like we need a disguise. Probably something minimal, like overalls."

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You start to knock on the door again and realize that you don't have a
Floyd | plan of action, even if he does answer. He can't see that well. He
Floyd | might talk to you if you could somehow make him think you were Earl.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener stoops and appears to examine some plants.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look in greenhouse"

Floyd | You press your face against the glass and try to peer through the fog.
Floyd | You see the shadowy figure of the gardener moving around among the
Floyd | rows of plants inside the greenhouse.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener shuffles over to one side of the greenhouse and picks
Floyd | through some objects on a table.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x table"

Floyd | You see no table here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "I have a feeling we're going to go through many disguises in this game"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You see no particular reason to go hiking off across the beautifully
Floyd | manicured lawn when there are perfectly good paths available. Obvious
Floyd | exits lead north; and south, back to the west lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You can't bring yourself to trample through the flowers when there are
Floyd | perfectly good paths available. Obvious exits lead north, back to the
Floyd | greenhouse; east, to the gravel driveway; and west, to the west lawn
Floyd | by Poseidon & Amphitrite.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg asks, "did we look at poseidon that closely?"

DavidW says, "I looked at parts of him, yes, but it's discouraged, just like with Triton."

Ghogg says, "hmmm"

Ghogg says, "there *is* a hint system in this game but I feel like ought to be able to crack this"

Taleslinger says, "Hm, maybe it's nothing, but I'v e got a feeling we should go for the 'salesman' thing first. Not sure if we're doing this."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn card"

Floyd | You cannot turn that.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg asks, "well, is the paper the only other thing we need to be a salesman? did they give us a list?"

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "My feeling is exactly the opposite. We need to do all the outside stuff and that will let us be a salesman."

Taleslinger says (to Dw), "Okay, then it's the outside stuff."

DavidW says, "hm. I'm getting worried, though. We've played for two hours and made little progress."

DavidW asks, "I'm not sure where we haven't ventured yet. North or south of East Lawn? West or East of Garage Entrance?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't bring yourself to trample through the flowers when there are
Floyd | perfectly good paths available. Obvious exits lead east, to the east
Floyd | lawn by Triton; and west, back to the east gravel driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "And is there something that could tempt a hungry grasshopper?"

DavidW says, "Also, I thought 'the hopper is unimportant'."

maga asks, "did we try picking flowers?"

DavidW says (to maga), "no, we didn't try that."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | You notice a small green grasshopper munching on a clump of grass
Floyd | nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take hopper"

Floyd | You lunge for the grasshopper, and miss again. This time he takes
Floyd | flight just long enough to reach a clump of grass on the other side of
Floyd | the clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Just as you're about to spring the grasshopper decides the grass is
Floyd | greener over... there, and leaps to a new clump.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You lunge for the grasshopper one last time, and much to your (and
Floyd | even more to the grasshopper's) surprise you actually manage to trap
Floyd | him under your cupped palm. I guess your previous clumsy efforts must
Floyd | have lulled the poor little guy into a false sense of security.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "hooray"

Floyd | The word "hooray" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf6"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Ghogg says, "hee hee"

Ghogg says, "with the grasshopper I got quite a bit farther without hints, so I'll stay quiet from here"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sw"

Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | It's been a long time since you last did much tree climbing, but
Floyd | you're willing to give it a try. You grab one of the lower branches
Floyd | and pull yourself up.
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the ground some
Floyd | twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs and a bobby pin.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "give grasshopper to robin"

Floyd | It just so happens that small green grasshoppers are this particular
Floyd | robin's absolute favorite afternoon snack. Her normal caution
Floyd | overcome by hunger, she bursts forth in a flurry of beating wings and
Floyd | dives for the grasshopper. Before you can even twitch in response
Floyd | she's snapped it from your fingertips and zoomed back out of reach.
Floyd | By the time she has regained her perch all traces of the poor little
Floyd | guy are gone. She continues to watch you warily.
Floyd |
Floyd | So much for your show of good will.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "give grasshopper to robin".
Floyd |
Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs and a bobby pin.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "show hopper to robin"

Floyd | Carefully taking the grasshopper between thumb and forefinger, you
Floyd | hold it out to where the robin can see it. She begins cheeping and
Floyd | bobbing her head in excitement. You can almost feel the poor little
Floyd | guy cringe in your fingers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take pin"

Floyd | Something about the way the robin is watching your every move makes
Floyd | you think that right now might not be a good time to be reaching
Floyd | toward her nest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Wait, we can't climb with a paddle, but with one hand clenched to a fist?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop hopper"

Floyd | You hold the hand containing the grasshopper out in front of you and
Floyd | slowly open it. The grasshopper cautiously pokes its head up and
Floyd | takes a look around. Spotting the robin, it immediately springs in
Floyd | terror for the nearest clump of leaves. The robin explodes into the
Floyd | air and dives in after it. You hear rustling sounds and occasional
Floyd | excited chirps coming from various points in the branches around you.
Floyd |
Floyd | The chase is on.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take pin"

Floyd | You try your best to not disturb the four small pale blue eggs as you
Floyd | carefully slip the bobby pin out of the nest.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Just as you're about to do that the robin returns to her perch and
Floyd | chirps at you unhappily. The grasshopper must have escaped. You hold
Floyd | your breath as she examines her nest. Thankfully she sees nothing
Floyd | awry and resumes her watch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the ground some
Floyd | twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf7"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x pin"

Floyd | The bobby pin is badly rusted. It must have been lying outside in the
Floyd | rain and snow for a long time before the robin found it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga asks, "so go back to the padlock and try picking it?"

Taleslinger asks, "Now pick the shed's lock?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "clean pin"

Floyd | You wouldn't know how to clean that.
Floyd |
Floyd | A squirrel holding a large acorn darts out of the foliage to chitter
Floyd | at you angrily for invading his domain, then just as abruptly
Floyd | disappears back into the leaves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "prick squirrel"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "prick squirrel"

Floyd | The word "prick" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "since that is the only purpose of bobby-pins in any sensible adventure"

DavidW says, "Squirrel isn't actually there."

DavidW says (to maga), "The lock is supposedly unpickable."

DavidW says, "but sure, let's test it."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

maga says (to DW), "only in Slovenia"

Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Having reached the lowest branch, you grab it and swing down out of
Floyd | the tree. It feels good to have your feet on solid ground again.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle here.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "se"

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "pick lock with pin"

Floyd | It always works in the movies, but you don't hold out much hope as you
Floyd | carefully straighten the rusty bobby pin and insert in the keyhole.
Floyd | You poke and prod a bit, then twist the pin. Much to your surprise
Floyd | you hear a tiny grinding sound and the lock cylinder moves slightly.
Floyd | You twist harder and it moves some more, but you can also feel the
Floyd | bobby pin starting to bend and crumble in your fingers. You decide to
Floyd | give it one final hard twist. Just as the cylinder starts to turn the
Floyd | bobby pin snaps off flush with the keyhole and what's left of it
Floyd | disintegrates into a pile of gritty rust in your hand.
Floyd |
Floyd | The lock stays shut.
Floyd |
Floyd | Note: There will now be a short pause to allow you to fully express
Floyd | your opinion of bobby pins, padlocks, adventure games, adventure game
Floyd | authors, and life in general.
Floyd |
Floyd | Press the space bar when you're done...
Floyd |
Floyd | Wow! Where did you learn all those six-syllable expletives? I'm
Floyd | impressed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Anyway, with that out of your system you decide to give the offending
Floyd | padlock one last yank before you stomp off in disgust, and darned if
Floyd | the stupid thing doesn't fall open in your hand. (Now aren't you
Floyd | sorry you said all those terrible things about adventure game
Floyd | authors.)
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, an inner tube patch, a
Floyd | forked stick, a shiny penny, and a paddle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "hahha"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take lock"

Floyd | The remaining piece of the bobby pin has hopelessly jammed the
Floyd | padlock's locking mechanism, rendering it useless. Since it obviously
Floyd | has been picked you briefly consider trying to return it to the
Floyd | manufacturer for replacement, but decide to skip the trip to Slovenia
Floyd | for now and leave it where it is.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open door"

Floyd | You unhook the lock, flip back the hasp, re-hang the lock, and give
Floyd | the door a tug. It creaks open on rusty hinges.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the shadowy dimness
Floyd | inside the shed. The first thing you notice is a long wooden
Floyd | workbench against the left wall. The top of the bench is littered
Floyd | with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted unidentifiable junk.
Floyd | The only thing you recognize is the electric grinder bolted to the
Floyd | bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails march along the right
Floyd | wall, probably driven there long ago to hang tools on. Stacked
Floyd | against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of salesman's sample
Floyd | cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | Hanging on the nails are a gimme cap and a chambray work shirt.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cap"

Floyd | The cap looks like your typical gimme cap, the kind businesses like to
Floyd | emblazon with their company logos then sell to rubes who actually WANT
Floyd | to look like walking billboards. This one is a bit worn and has a few
Floyd | grease stains on it, but looks to be perfectly serviceable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x shirt"

Floyd | The shirt is a typical blue chambray work shirt. It has short
Floyd | sleeves, is passably clean, and has the name Earl embroidered over the
Floyd | spot where the now-missing pocket used to be.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Yep, that's what they are all right. Salesman's sample cases. A
Floyd | whole pile of 'em in every shape and size imaginable. You've never
Floyd | seen so much genuine Naugahyde all in one place in your life. Kind'a
Floyd | makes you wonder just how many salesmen over the years failed to read
Floyd | the plaque next to the mansion's main entrance.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take cases"

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals a wonderful collection of plastic shower curtain
Floyd | hooks (available in nine decorator colors). After a brief examination
Floyd | of the case's totally useless contents you close it in disgust and
Floyd | toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals listings for over fifty fabulous time-share
Floyd | vacation condos, all available for a limited time only! After a brief
Floyd | examination of the case's totally useless contents you close it in
Floyd | disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals a fascinating assortment of adult nov... Uh, never
Floyd | mind that one. After a brief examination of the case's totally useless
Floyd | contents you close it in disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals a set of six Elvis collector plates showing his
Floyd | transformation from young heartthrob to aging, overweight superstar.
Floyd | After a brief examination of the case's totally useless contents you
Floyd | close it in disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals over forty wonderful herbal products guaranteed to
Floyd | keep you healthy, fit, and broke for life (dealerships available).
Floyd | After a brief examination of the case's totally useless contents you
Floyd | close it in disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals a complete line of Cramway products, each
Floyd | specifically formulated to meet your every cleaning need. After a
Floyd | brief examination of the case's totally useless contents you close it
Floyd | in disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You rummage around in the pile and pick a sample case at random.
Floyd | Opening it reveals no less than fourteen different handy-dandy
Floyd | labor-saving widgets no kitchen should be without. After a brief
Floyd | examination of the case's totally useless contents you close it in
Floyd | disgust and toss it back on the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "my."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x junk"

Floyd | Broken tools, old car parts, and assorted unidentifiable junk litter
Floyd | the top of the bench. Nothing useful is readily apparent in the pile,
Floyd | but who knows what a more thorough examination might turn up.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search junk"

Floyd | You dig through the pile of junk on the table, and much to your
Floyd | surprise discover some leather work gloves, a screwdriver, and an
Floyd | inner tube.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take gloves"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take screwdriver"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take tube"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x glovews"

Floyd | The word "glovews" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "oops gloves"

Floyd | The pair of cowhide grain leather work gloves are well worn from long,
Floyd | hard use, but still intact and pliant enough to wear.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | A typical old black rubber inner tube. It's too big to be for a car
Floyd | tire. It must have come from a truck or tractor or something. The
Floyd | rubber still looks serviceable, but upon closer inspection you
Floyd | discover a quarter-inch long gash near the valve stem. The gash
Floyd | explains why it was abandoned among the other junk on the bench.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "put patch on tube"

Floyd | You carefully peel the backing from the patch, position it over the
Floyd | gash, and press it home. Hopefully it will hold once the tube is
Floyd | inflated.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "search junk"

Floyd | You dig through the pile of junk on the table, but find nothing of
Floyd | interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x grinder"

Floyd | The electric grinder's motor, grinding wheel, power cord, and on-off
Floyd | switch are all in place and intact. It is not plugged into anything
Floyd | at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bulb"

Floyd | The light bulb is ordinary in every way. It is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn on bulb"

Floyd | There's a click as you pull the chain, but the light bulb remains
Floyd | dark. It could be burned out, or the circuit could be dead. It might
Floyd | not hurt to see where the wires lead.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn off bulb"

Floyd | The light bulb is already as off as it's ever going to get.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | A single-bulb light fixture is mounted over the workbench. An
Floyd | electrical cable leads from the fixture to a location behind the
Floyd | workbench. The fixture has a pull chain attached to it for turning it
Floyd | on and off. The light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "look behind workbench"

Floyd | You bend down and peer under the workbench. There's an power outlet
Floyd | conveniently attached to the wall under there. The cable from the
Floyd | light fixture feeds into it from above, and conduit runs from it to a
Floyd | location concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x conduit"

Floyd | The conduit runs from the power outlet under the bench to a location
Floyd | concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You swing the door open. The inside of the shed returns to its normal
Floyd | level of gloominess.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x outlet"

Floyd | A standard 3-prong power outlet is attached to the wall under the
Floyd | bench. The cable from the light fixture feeds into it from above, and
Floyd | conduit runs from it to a location concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "We need to get the light on to check behind the door. Or get a flashlight."

WeirdBeard says, "Screwdriver for the screw, obviously."

DavidW says, "er, no. The screw is stripped."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open door"

Floyd | You swing the door open. The inside of the shed returns to its normal
Floyd | level of gloominess.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The grinding wheel currently attached to the motor's shaft is marked
Floyd | "medium grit". It should be OK for most grinding and sharpening
Floyd | needs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "Is there something we need to sharpen?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cord"

Floyd | The grinder's power cord is not plugged into anything at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x switch"

Floyd | The power switch is currently in the OFF position.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a shiny
Floyd | penny, a paddle, a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, some leather work
Floyd | gloves, a screwdriver, and an inner tube.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a shiny
Floyd | penny, a paddle, a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, some leather work
Floyd | gloves, a screwdriver, and an inner tube.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I think we should wear the shirt and gloves and go back to the greenhouse."

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "nw"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | The trees thin quickly, giving way to rolling green lawn as the path
Floyd | bends to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Greenhouse Entrance
Floyd | The path ends at the entrance to a large greenhouse. Its
Floyd | glass-paneled walls are fogged with moisture. Peering inside you can
Floyd | just make out what looks like long rows of plants, as well as the
Floyd | shadowy shape of a figure moving about among them. There is a single
Floyd | door, also glass, directly in front of you. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | The flagstone path leads back south across the lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You start to knock on the door again, but hesitate. The chambray work
Floyd | shirt and leather work gloves still might not be enough to fool the
Floyd | old gardener into thinking you're Earl. You decide to try to find one
Floyd | more piece of his apparel to wear, just to be sure.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "wear cap"

Floyd | Okay, you're now wearing the gimme cap.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You start to knock on the door, but hesitate. The old gardener might
Floyd | be a bit surprised to see Earl the groundskeeper lugging around a
Floyd | paddle, and you don't want him looking at you too closely.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener walks to a different group of plants and starts digging
Floyd | with a hand trowel.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener picks up a water can and sprinkles some seedlings.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You step up and knock on the greenhouse door. You see the old
Floyd | gardener again look your way, hesitate, scratch his head, sigh, then
Floyd | finally walk over to a table and pick something up. The door swings
Floyd | open. He peers up at you through thick, fogged glasses. You stare
Floyd | intently at your shoes, letting the bill of the gimme cap hide your
Floyd | face.
Floyd |
Floyd | Grumbling, he says, "'Bout time you got back, Earl. That hedge by the
Floyd | garage needs clippin' real bad. Here, take these."
Floyd |
Floyd | "OK," you mumble as you take a pair of hedge clippers from his hands.
Floyd | You turn quickly to make your getaway.
Floyd |
Floyd | "And come right back when you're done," he calls after you. "I got
Floyd | some more stuff that needs doin'."
Floyd |
Floyd | You wave in acknowledgement without looking back.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x clippers"

Floyd | The hedge clippers are well-worn and dulled with age. Spots of rust
Floyd | adorn the blades. They move easily when you open and close them, but
Floyd | given their current state it's unlikely that you'll be able to cut
Floyd | anything with them.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "ah. This is what we need to sharpen."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take paddle"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "what's our last save?"

[whiz-games] Whizzard stretches.

DavidW says, "I've forgotten what our last save name was."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf7"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a shiny
Floyd | penny, a screwdriver, an inner tube, some dull hedge clippers, and a
Floyd | paddle. You're wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some
Floyd | leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener reties some stray branches to a trellis.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "se"

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "plug cord in outlet"

Floyd | You crawl under the workbench and plug the power cord into the outlet,
Floyd | then stand back up when you're done. The grinder remains off.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The electric grinder's motor, grinding wheel, power cord, and on-off
Floyd | switch are all in place and intact. It is plugged in and turned OFF.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga asks, "so the power's out?"

DavidW says, "There's something behind the door that needs to be fixed."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x conduit"

Floyd | The conduit runs from the power outlet under the bench to a location
Floyd | concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "a fusebox, undoubtedly"

DavidW says, "oh. probably."

Taleslinger says, "So, we need more light."

Taleslinger says, "More exploring. *sigh?"

Taleslinger asks, "Or have we seen everything?"

DavidW says, "we could try the screwdriver on the screw, and hope the screwdriver is in fact a magnetic one."

maga says, "sounds good"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "out"

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ne"

Floyd | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead northwest, to the footpath
Floyd | through the small clearing; and in, back to the garden shed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "nw"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | The trees thin quickly, giving way to rolling green lawn as the path
Floyd | bends to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't bring yourself to trample through the flowers when there are
Floyd | perfectly good paths available. Obvious exits lead east, back to the
Floyd | east lawn by Triton; and west, to the east gravel driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently down.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked in bay two. Its front wheel is secured by a
Floyd | bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "unscrew screw with screwdriver"

Floyd | The head of the screw is stripped out. You can't remove it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "yeah, that's what I thought."

Taleslinger asks, "Maybe we can magnetize it somehow?"

DavidW asks (of Taleslinger), "yes? With?"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "put screwdriver in hole"

Floyd | Which hole do you mean, the canoe hole, or the panel hole?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "panel"

Floyd | (first standing in the service bay)
Floyd | You carefully stick the blade of the screwdriver through the hole in
Floyd | control panel and touch it to the two terminals. The lift's hydraulic
Floyd | pump whines to life and the Jag rises smoothly into the air.
Floyd |
Floyd | You discover a gold cigarette lighter lying on the service bay floor
Floyd | under the hydraulic lift.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "oh. Plot point: The guy is a recluse because of the death of his wife."

Taleslinger asks, "Is Emmeline an Emily in-joke?"

DavidW says, "no, I don't see that."

DavidW says, "Let's fix the fusebox and clippers"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "se"

Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You snap the lighter open and flick the striking wheel. The flint
Floyd | sparks and the wick instantly bursts into flame.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | Now that the door is closed you can see a fuse box mounted to the wall
Floyd | in the space normally concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "if no cheese is involved it's not an Emily in-joke"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open box"

Floyd | You'll have to remove the screw first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open fuse box"

Floyd | You'll have to remove the screw first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x box"

Floyd | The fuse box is a small gray metal box, slightly smaller than a
Floyd | shoebox, with a lever on one side and a hinged cover. It's mounted to
Floyd | the wall next to the bench. Electrical conduit runs from the bottom
Floyd | of the fuse box to the power outlet under the bench.
Floyd |
Floyd | The fuse box lever is in the ON position. The fuse box cover is
Floyd | closed and secured with a screw.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "unscrew screw with screwdriver"

Floyd | You insert the tip of the screwdriver into the head of the screw and
Floyd | twist firmly counterclockwise. After a brief hesitation the screw
Floyd | breaks loose, then spins out the rest of the way easily. As the last
Floyd | few threads clear the hole it wobbles then falls to the floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You try not to think about the phrase "electrical fire" as you
Floyd | cautiously poke the penny into the back of the socket.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "close box"

Floyd | Closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn on lever"

Floyd | You move the lever up into the ON position. You hear the metallic
Floyd | 'clink' of the penny falling out of the socket and hitting the bottom
Floyd | of the fuse box. The vibration from the lever being moved must have
Floyd | jarred it loose.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, some dull hedge clippers, a paddle, a gold
Floyd | lighter (providing light), a screw, and a blown fuse. You're wearing
Floyd | a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x tube"

Floyd | A typical old black rubber inner tube. It's too big to be for a car
Floyd | tire. It must have come from a truck or tractor or something. The
Floyd | patch you applied appears to be firmly stuck into place. Hopefully it
Floyd | will hold air when you try to inflate it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You turn on the grinder's power switch. It's power restored, the
Floyd | grinder spins to life.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear a low, steady whirring sound coming from the grinder.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "grind shears"

Floyd | The word "shears" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, some dull hedge clippers, a paddle, a gold
Floyd | lighter, and a screw. You're wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work
Floyd | shirt, and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "grind clippers"

Floyd | (with the electric grinder)
Floyd | You open the clippers and begin to move the edges of the two blades
Floyd | back and forth against the spinning grinder wheel. Sparks fly as you
Floyd | carefully hone them back to razor sharpness.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear a low, steady whirring sound coming from the grinder.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (first opening the shed door)
Floyd | You swing the door open. The inside of the shed returns to its normal
Floyd | level of gloominess.
Floyd |
Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "er, I think we want to trim the hedge, don't we?"

WeirdBeard asks, "do we need our peeny?"

DavidW says (to WB), "hm. We might, yeah."

maga says, "okay, okay, do the boring thing"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You snap the lighter open and flick the striking wheel. The flint
Floyd | sparks and the wick instantly bursts into flame.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Garden Shed
Floyd | You see a long wooden workbench against the left wall. The top of the
Floyd | bench is littered with broken tools, old car parts, and assorted
Floyd | unidentifiable junk. The only thing you recognize is the electric
Floyd | grinder bolted to the bench's far end. A crooked row of rusty nails
Floyd | march along the right wall, probably driven there long ago to hang
Floyd | tools on. Stacked against the back wall is what looks to be a pile of
Floyd | salesman's sample cases. The whole place has a musty, abandoned air
Floyd | about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a single-bulb light fixture mounted over the workbench. The
Floyd | light bulb is unlit.
Floyd |
Floyd | Now that the door is closed you can see a fuse box mounted to the wall
Floyd | in the space normally concealed by the open door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "it seems to me that we might need to use the clippers to meet our own wicked ends before giving them back, though"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take penny"

Floyd | You'll have to remove the fuse first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take fuse"

Floyd | You unscrew and take the blown fuse.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take penny"

Floyd | You hold your hand under the socket and tap the side of the fuse box.
Floyd | The penny tumbles out into your palm. It appears to have accumulated
Floyd | a few nicks and scratches from having the fuse screwed down on top of
Floyd | it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

[whiz-games] Whizzard says, "Not much. Just vegging today."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x penny"

Floyd | It's a shiny Lincoln cent, just like the ones that keep cluttering up
Floyd | your pockets. You do notice that it has the original wreath design on
Floyd | the reverse. You don't see many of those any more.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (first opening the shed door)
Floyd | You swing the door open. The inside of the shed returns to its normal
Floyd | level of gloominess.
Floyd |
Floyd | By the Garden Shed
Floyd | A dilapidated old garden shed squats forlornly next to the wall in the
Floyd | far southeast corner of the property. The only thing even remotely
Floyd | new about it is the shiny chrome-plated padlock on its door. The path
Floyd | back to the small clearing lies to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see no reason to travel around with a lit lighter in your hand.
Floyd | You snap the lighter closed to extinguish the flame.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "nw"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | The trees thin quickly, giving way to rolling green lawn as the path
Floyd | bends to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The hedge continues along the driveway to the garage.
Floyd | However, unlike the hedge in other parts of the estate, this one is
Floyd | rather badly overgrown. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "trim hedges"

Floyd | (with the sharp hedge clippers)
Floyd | You set about the task of trimming the thick hedge with vigor. The
Floyd | freshly sharpened clippers chew through the foliage with little
Floyd | resistance, and before long you have the hedge shaping up nicely. As
Floyd | you work on its east side you also uncover the entrance to a bare
Floyd | footpath leading east. A bit of extra clipping makes it passable once
Floyd | again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "oho, so that's how we benefit out of this"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x sand"

Floyd | The beach is about two hundred feet directly below you. It's wide and
Floyd | sandy, and looks like it would be a great place to spend a sunny
Floyd | afternoon with the family. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "x rock"

Floyd | Part of the cliff has collapsed, blocking the west end of the beach.
Floyd | The rocks extend well out into the bay. Waves break over their jagged
Floyd | edges.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "x sand"

Floyd | The wide, sandy beach follows the curve of the bay to the east and
Floyd | eventually disappears behind the cliffs as it turns south. To the
Floyd | west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "climb rock"

Floyd | You explore the fallen rocks to see if you can find a way over or
Floyd | through them. You quickly give up. They're steep, jagged,
Floyd | dangerously slippery, and extend well out into the bay.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "dig sand"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to dig for buried pirate treasure later. Right
Floyd | now you have a package to deliver.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You shade your eyes and study the long curve of the beach to the east.
Floyd | Other than a few nude sunbathers you see nothing of interest, and
Floyd | decide to skip the hike.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Just kidding about the nude sunbathers.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (the water)
Floyd | A nice swim would certainly be refreshing, however you can't put the
Floyd | package down and you dare not get it wet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cliff"

Floyd | The view of the cliffs towering over the beach is awe-inspiring.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

[whiz-games] Gunther says, "also picked up a copy of Wings of War, which apparently is published by FFG"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Just a guess, but we might have to go innertubing to get in the ocean."

maga asks, "with a bike tube?"

Taleslinger asks (of wb), "You mean using the snorkel as a tube?"

Taleslinger says, "Err, the other way around."

DavidW says, "An inner tube is not a snorkel."

WeirdBeard asks, "You've never rid an inner tube before?"

DavidW says, "I have."

DavidW says, "But we haven't seen anywhere to 'inner tube' to."

maga says, "yeah, but I figured that you needed one the size of a car tyre at least"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tube"

Floyd | A typical old black rubber inner tube. It's too big to be for a car
Floyd | tire. It must have come from a truck or tractor or something. The
Floyd | patch you applied appears to be firmly stuck into place. Hopefully it
Floyd | will hold air when you try to inflate it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "aaah"

DavidW says, "It's bigger."

maga asks, "why did I think it was from a bicycle?"

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blow up tube"

Floyd | What do you want to inflate it with?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "breath"

Floyd | The word "breath" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "air"

Floyd | The story doesn't understand that command.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blow up tube with air"

Floyd | You'll need to find an air hose first.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "You can't do it with your mouth, guy."

Taleslinger asks, "Wasn't there something in the garage?"

DavidW says, "It's not a balloon."

DavidW says, "Yes. A locked cabinet."

maga says, "So, the key and the statue puzzle."

WeirdBeard says, "I saw a guy on You Bet Your Life blow up an inner tube with his mouth. He blew so hard it really blew up."

DavidW says, "We need to either return the clippers or use 'em vs the squirrel."

maga says, "I really don't think that the clippers are relevant to the squirrel"

DavidW says (to maga), "me neither, but that was WB's idea."

DavidW says, "I vote return the clippers next."

Taleslinger says, "There is an air compressor beside the lift. I checked scrollbacl-"

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "ah, right. I forgot that."

DavidW says, "what are we doing? The clock's tickin'."

Taleslinger says, "But giving back the clippers seems more likely to lead anywhere."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Freshly cut hedge clippings are strewn about the area.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "yeah, there's no apparent purpose for the tube yet"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Greenhouse Entrance
Floyd | The path ends at the entrance to a large greenhouse. Its
Floyd | glass-paneled walls are fogged with moisture. Peering inside you can
Floyd | just make out what looks like long rows of plants, as well as the
Floyd | shadowy shape of a figure moving about among them. There is a single
Floyd | door, also glass, directly in front of you. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | The flagstone path leads back south across the lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener walks to a different group of plants and starts digging
Floyd | with a hand trowel.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | You step up and knock on the greenhouse door. You see the gardener
Floyd | look your way, then walk toward the door. It swings open. You again
Floyd | stare intently at your shoes to hide your face.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You get that hedge clipped yet?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yep," you mumble without looking up.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener nods and picks up a couple of items sitting next to the
Floyd | door. He hands them to you and says, "'Bout time. Now take these and
Floyd | clean up, and this time don't take all day doin' it neither."
Floyd |
Floyd | You take the leaf rake and peanut sack and turn to go. You hear the
Floyd | door close sharply behind you.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x rake"

Floyd | The leaf rake consists of a fan of springy metal tines attached to a
Floyd | long wooden handle. It's ideal for raking up loose brush, leaves, and
Floyd | grass.
Floyd |
Floyd | The gardener shuffles over to one side of the greenhouse and picks
Floyd | through some objects on a table.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x sack"

Floyd | The large burlap sack looks just like the ones handed out at fairs for
Floyd | sack races. It has the word "PEANUTS" stenciled in block letters on
Floyd | it. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The peanuts are raw and still in their shells. They look typical in
Floyd | every respect. You have three peanuts left.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take paddle"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "That 'three peanuts left' bothers me."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Freshly cut hedge clippings are strewn about the area.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "rake clippings"

Floyd | It takes a bit of doing, but before long you manage to rake the
Floyd | scattered hedge clippings into a single large pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Maybe we have three chances to get it right. Save before we try anything, obviously."

maga asks, "as in, we're going to only get three shots at something critical?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "put clippings in sack"

maga says, "...timing"

Floyd | You set the peanut sack down and start to work. The sack is roomier
Floyd | than it looks, and after a bit of jamming and cramming you manage to
Floyd | get the whole pile of clippings stuffed inside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, a gold lighter, a screw, some sharp hedge
Floyd | clippers, a blown fuse, a shiny penny, a leaf rake, three peanuts, and
Floyd | a paddle. You're wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some
Floyd | leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take sack"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger asks, "Maybe use the rake to get that piece of paper at the gate?"

DavidW says, "good idea"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf9"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Front Gate
Floyd | The gravel driveway widens a bit as it passes through a gate in the
Floyd | high stone wall that surrounds the estate. On the other side of the
Floyd | gate the road quickly bends and disappears from sight behind the
Floyd | trees. The neatly trimmed hedge on the west side of the driveway runs
Floyd | in a solid, unbroken line right up to the wall. But, oddly enough,
Floyd | there's a narrow gap between the hedge and the wall on the east side.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a sales brochure here (on the other side of the gate).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take brochure with rake"

Floyd | You kneel down in front of the closed gate. There's just enough of a
Floyd | gap between the two sides to permit the head of the rake to slip
Floyd | through. Getting your hand through is a bit tougher, but by leaning
Floyd | on the gate you manage to widen it enough for that as well. You
Floyd | extend the rake as far as you can toward the piece of paper and lower
Floyd | its blade.
Floyd |
Floyd | Bulls-eye!
Floyd |
Floyd | It takes a bit of patience but you eventually manage to work the piece
Floyd | of paper close enough to the gate to be able to reach it. You pick it
Floyd | up and resume your feet.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read brochure"

Floyd | The front of the sales brochure contains the standard vinyl siding
Floyd | marketing spiel. Yep, there's the de rigueur before/after picture of
Floyd | a dilapidated old house miraculously transformed by the addition of
Floyd | the manufacturer's products. And of course the words "Lifetime
Floyd | Guarantee" in thirty point type followed by a microscopic asterisk and
Floyd | about five hundred words in three point type. Mind-numbing stuff.
Floyd |
Floyd | The back of the brochure is much more interesting. The drawing is
Floyd | crudely sketched, but there's no doubt that it's some kind of map. It
Floyd | shows a small beach bordered on both sides by fallen rocks and backed
Floyd | by a cliff. There's an arrow pointing to some bushes next to a large
Floyd | boulder on the southwest side. Behind one of the bushes is marked a
Floyd | bold X.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "huh"

DavidW asks, "Investigate the bush on the beach?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bush"

Floyd | You see no bush here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cliffs"

Floyd | The view of the cliffs towering over the beach is awe-inspiring.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The front of the sales brochure contains the standard vinyl siding
Floyd | marketing spiel.
Floyd |
Floyd | The back of the brochure is much more interesting. The drawing is
Floyd | crudely sketched, but there's no doubt that it's some kind of map. It
Floyd | shows a small beach bordered on both sides by fallen rocks and backed
Floyd | by a cliff. There's an arrow pointing to some bushes next to a large
Floyd | boulder on the southwest side. Behind one of the bushes is marked a
Floyd | bold X.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "it said a beach blocked by rocks on *both* sides"

DavidW says, "so it does"

maga says, "so maybe the bit we want is over this section of rocks"

DavidW says, "or around it via inner tube."

maga says, "clearly we need to disguise ourself as a policeman, sneak into the police station and take their climbing boots"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "in"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked in bay two. Its front wheel is secured by a
Floyd | bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x air"

Floyd | You see no air here.
Floyd | (Not like in L.A. You actually can see the air there.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x compressor"

Floyd | The compressor is a heavy duty self-contained unit that starts
Floyd | automatically when the air pressure in its tank drops below a preset
Floyd | level. There's a quick-connect for attaching an air hose.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (first standing in the service bay)
Floyd | You can't attach that to the inner tube.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hose"

Floyd | You see no hose here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x asldjk"

Floyd | The word "asldjk" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "attach toube to hose"

Floyd | The word "toube" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "attach tube to hose"

Floyd | You see no hose here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "There's no visible hose."

DavidW says, "Probably in the thrice-damned cabinet."

maga says, "pigfuckery"

WeirdBeard says, "Squirrel next. Must die!"

DavidW says, "Or.. we could give the sack o' trimmings to greenhouse boy."

DavidW says, "I want an acorn as much as anyone, but we don't have a use for an acorn yet."

WeirdBeard says (as Homer) "Boooring!"

WeirdBeard says, "Oh, OK."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Greenhouse Entrance
Floyd | The path ends at the entrance to a large greenhouse. Its
Floyd | glass-paneled walls are fogged with moisture. Peering inside you can
Floyd | just make out what looks like long rows of plants, as well as the
Floyd | shadowy shape of a figure moving about among them. There is a single
Floyd | door, also glass, directly in front of you. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | The flagstone path leads back south across the lawn.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | There's not much point in bothering the old gardener further. You
Floyd | already have everything you're going to get from him.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take paddle"

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "moon gardener"

Floyd | The word "moon" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You hike down the path. The rolling green lawn quickly gives way to
Floyd | woods choked by dense undergrowth as it bends to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sw"

Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | There's only so much you can carry up a tree. You'd better leave the
Floyd | sharp hedge clippers, the leaf rake, and the peanut sack here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's been a long time since you last did much tree climbing, but
Floyd | you're willing to give it a try. You grab one of the lower branches
Floyd | and pull yourself up.
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "heh. Is the sack our safety net?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the peanut sack lying
Floyd | on the ground some twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take acorn"

Floyd | The hole is a tight fit, but you manage to squeeze your hand through
Floyd | and grab an acorn from the pile.
Floyd |
Floyd | Just as you do the squirrel returns, this time taking up sentry duty
Floyd | on a nearby branch. Apparently concerned by your discovery of his
Floyd | hidey-hole, he watches warily as you paw around among his stash of
Floyd | acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Save just in case. We only have three nuts."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf10"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x sack"

Floyd | You can catch an occasional glimpse of the peanut sack full of
Floyd | clippings on the ground far below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "put peanut in sack"

Floyd | The peanut sack is too far away.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "show peanut to squirrel"

Floyd | You take one of the peanuts in your free hand and hold it out to where
Floyd | the squirrel can see it. He sniffs and chitters excitedly.
Floyd | Apparently he likes peanuts even better than acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop peanut"

Floyd | You drop three peanuts, and watch as they fall out of sight through
Floyd | the leaves below. The squirrel is tempted to chase after it, but
Floyd | ultimately decides that the safety of his entire stash of acorns is
Floyd | more important. He remains on station, watching warily.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "drop peanut".
Floyd |
Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the peanut sack lying
Floyd | on the ground some twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | A squirrel holding a single large acorn watches you warily from a
Floyd | nearby branch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "give peanut to squirrel"

Floyd | You take one of the peanuts in your free hand and hold it out to where
Floyd | the squirrel can see it. He sniffs and chitters excitedly. He moves
Floyd | cautiously toward you. You hold very still.
Floyd |
Floyd | Closer...
Floyd | Cloooser...
Floyd |
Floyd | He snatches the peanut, and drops his acorn! It falls out of sight
Floyd | through the branches below. He scampers back out of reach to consume
Floyd | his prize. You have two peanuts left.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "now, can we find the acorn he dropped?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop acorn"

Floyd | You release the acorn and withdraw your hand from the hole.
Floyd |
Floyd | Satisfied that his stash of acorns is safe, the squirrel takes off
Floyd | down the trunk of the tree in search of the acorn he dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Having reached the lowest branch, you grab it and swing down out of
Floyd | the tree. It feels good to have your feet on solid ground again.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings) here.
Floyd |
Floyd | The squirrel has beaten you to the ground and recovered his acorn!
Floyd | You make a grab for him as he darts past, but he evades you easily.
Floyd | You begin to consider ways to get down the tree ahead of him as he
Floyd | disappears into the foliage above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "d".
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "jump"

Floyd | You pick a spot unobstructed by large branches and step off of the
Floyd | limb. After a brief fall you hit the peanut sack, roll, and bounce to
Floyd | your feet unharmed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings) here.
Floyd |
Floyd | The squirrel has beaten you to the ground and recovered his acorn!
Floyd | You make a grab for him as he darts past, but he evades you easily.
Floyd | You begin to consider ways to get down the tree ahead of him as he
Floyd | disappears into the foliage above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "jump".
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "d".
Floyd |
Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the peanut sack lying
Floyd | on the ground some twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "jump"

Floyd | You pick a spot that you hope is clear of the larger branches, set
Floyd | your sights on the peanut sack directly below you, and step out into
Floyd | thin air. The dense foliage slows you somewhat as you plunge toward
Floyd | the ground below.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your plan works perfectly. You land on the peanut sack, roll clear,
Floyd | and bounce to your feet unharmed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings), and an acorn here.
Floyd |
Floyd | The squirrel pokes his head out of the branches above you, chitters
Floyd | unhappily at the sight of you standing over his acorn, and scampers
Floyd | back up the tree to safety.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Excluding typical variation in size and shape, every acorn looks
Floyd | pretty much like every other acorn. All except this one that is. It
Floyd | is larger than average, nearly perfectly round, and feels unusually
Floyd | hard and heavy.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear birds twittering in the branches above you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I'm very confidence this acorn is meant as slingshot ammo."

DavidW says, "er, confident."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a
Floyd | shiny penny, two peanuts, a sales brochure, and an acorn. You're
Floyd | wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some leather work
Floyd | gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x shirt"

Floyd | The shirt is a typical blue chambray work shirt. It has short
Floyd | sleeves, is passably clean, and has the name Earl embroidered over the
Floyd | spot where the now-missing pocket used to be.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "I just thought of a weird idea I remember from Monky Island 4. An inner tube as a slingshot elastic."

DavidW says, "I'm not at all sure what the other half of the slingshot should be. We've probably seen it somewhere though."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a
Floyd | shiny penny, two peanuts, a sales brochure, and an acorn. You're
Floyd | wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some leather work
Floyd | gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a
Floyd | shiny penny, two peanuts, a sales brochure, and an acorn. You're
Floyd | wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt, and some leather work
Floyd | gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Is a gimme cap the kind you lay upside down, and either act talented or pathetic anf people put money in it?"

DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "yes, but we don't have another hopper."

DavidW says, "And I thought the twine was part of the nest itself."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "u"

Floyd | It's been a long time since you last did much tree climbing, but
Floyd | you're willing to give it a try. You grab one of the lower branches
Floyd | and pull yourself up.
Floyd |
Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "u"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the peanut sack lying
Floyd | on the ground some twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "u"

Floyd | High in the Oak Tree
Floyd | The dangerously thin branches creak and groan under your weight as you
Floyd | cling precariously to your shaky perch. Your climb has taken you
Floyd | nearly forty feet into the air. Looking out and down, all you can see
Floyd | are the tops of the other trees below you. Glancing up, you see that
Floyd | you have climbed to within ten feet of the top.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large female robin is perched on a branch to your left. She appears
Floyd | to be standing guard over the nest she has built there. The nest
Floyd | contains four pale blue eggs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "I suppose we could rummage through yet more of the cases in the shed?"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "d"

Floyd | Midway Up the Oak Tree
Floyd | The branches aren't quite so thick and sturdy here. You can feel them
Floyd | swaying slightly under you with the wind. Every once in awhile the
Floyd | leaves part enough for you to catch a glimpse of the peanut sack lying
Floyd | on the ground some twenty-five feet below.
Floyd |
Floyd | There is a three-inch wide hole in the trunk here. It contains a huge
Floyd | pile of acorns.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "d"

Floyd | Low in the Oak Tree
Floyd | You pause to catch your breath at a point that is about ten feet above
Floyd | the ground. The branch under your feet is thick and sturdy, and the
Floyd | trunk beside you is reassuringly massive. You can clearly see the
Floyd | peanut sack lying on the ground directly below you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "d"

Floyd | Having reached the lowest branch, you grab it and swing down out of
Floyd | the tree. It feels good to have your feet on solid ground again.
Floyd |
Floyd | Under the Oak Tree
Floyd | The forest thins slightly here, no doubt due to the huge old oak that
Floyd | is blocking most of the sunlight. The footpath continues from west to
Floyd | east along the wall for a bit before bending northeast to go around
Floyd | the tree's massive trunk.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings) here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Grassy Area
Floyd | The trees are a bit thinner here, allowing dappled sunlight to reach
Floyd | the ground. As a result there are numerous small clumps of grass
Floyd | scattered along this stretch of the footpath. The footpath bends to
Floyd | the southwest behind you. It continues to the east where it looks
Floyd | like it might widen out a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to trample through the woods looking for
Floyd | Bigfoot later. Right now you have a package to deliver. Obvious
Floyd | exits lead east to the footpath through the small clearing, and
Floyd | southwest to the footpath under the oak tree.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

vaporware arrives, full of funk, but no fun.

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Small Clearing
Floyd | This small open area is surrounded on all sides by dense undergrowth.
Floyd | Over the years dry leaves and twigs have accumulated here and now
Floyd | cover much of the ground. Paths lead west, southeast, and north. The
Floyd | path to the north passes through the trees then bends west toward
Floyd | Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | The trees thin quickly, giving way to rolling green lawn as the path
Floyd | bends to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "throw acorn at plaque"

Floyd | You decide to hang onto the acorn just in case you need it later.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "hm. I thought the acorn target would be the plaque. But maybe not."

Floyd | You need to be more specific about what to throw the acorn at.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "but that would be extraordinarily lame, so we probably shouldn't anticipate it too heavily"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "throw acorn at plaque"

Floyd | You see no plaque here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "throw acorn at triton"

Floyd | You see no triton here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "well, it may only work with SHOOT"

maga says, "but it certainly seems less likely"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot acorn at triton"

Floyd | You see no triton here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot acorn at plaque"

Floyd | You see no plaque here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Triton
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

maga says, "okay, at this point the shoot-the-plaque solution seems unlikely unless a spectacularly bad job has been done of adding pointers"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, an inner tube, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a
Floyd | shiny penny, two peanuts, a sales brochure, an acorn, a paddle, some
Floyd | sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut sack (which contains
Floyd | some hedge clippings). You're wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work
Floyd | shirt, and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "well, unless someone has a better idea, we could search more of the cases in the shed or rake the beach sand."

maga asks, "did we try to give the clippings back and get another chore?"

maga says, "that seems to have been a reliable method in the past"

DavidW says, "We did try. The game said we were done with the greenhouse guy."

WeirdBeard says, "It said not to bother him."

vaporware says (to Floyd), "take it"

Floyd | You can't take that.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bare"

Floyd | The small bare footpath leads east across the lawn for a short
Floyd | distance before bending south toward the woods.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bare stone"

Floyd | The stone pedestal is circular and rises about two feet above the
Floyd | flagstone pavement. It supports a life-sized bronze sculpture of
Floyd | Triton, and has a polished brass plaque attached to the front of it.
Floyd | The brass plaque is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

vaporware says (to Floyd), "x sculpture"

Floyd | The life-size bronze sculpture depicts the Greek sea-god Triton. He
Floyd | is shown as a man from the waist up and has a dolphin's tail in place
Floyd | of his legs. He is holding his signature trident in one hand and his
Floyd | conch shell horn in the other. The beauty and level of detail of the
Floyd | sculpture is impressive.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

vaporware says (to Floyd), "x horn"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to study the nuances of lawn sculpture later.
Floyd | Right now you have a package to deliver.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

vaporware says (to Floyd), "deliver package"

Floyd | Whom do you want to give it to?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "We'd better be getting overtime."

vaporware says (to Floyd), "triton"

Floyd | You cannot give anything to Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

vaporware says (to Floyd), "x package"

Floyd | The package is about ten inches long by eight wide, and nearly two
Floyd | inches thick. It is securely wrapped in plain brown paper. It's
Floyd | moderately heavy for its size, and doesn't rattle when shaken. If you
Floyd | had to guess you would say it was a book. There's something printed
Floyd | on it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Taleslinger says, "Okay, guys, I gotta run. I have to get up in less than six hours."

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked in bay two. Its front wheel is secured by a
Floyd | bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x canoe"

Floyd | The two-man aluminum canoe hanging from a wall rack in bay four is old
Floyd | and battered. It's had a few to many close encounters with jagged
Floyd | rocks, one of which no doubt ripped the gaping hole you can see in its
Floyd | bottom. It's hanging bottom-outward and stored up high to keep it out
Floyd | of the way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x bike"

Floyd | The bicycle is a 50's Schwinn Black Phantom. It has red pinstriping
Floyd | and lots of chrome trim. The seat is large and comfortable, and its
Floyd | spoked wheels are decked out in white wall street tires. The front
Floyd | fender has an integrated headlight, and the rear has an integrated
Floyd | tail light and reflector. Like many 50's bikes there's a sleek
Floyd | horntank mounted under the frame's top tube to give it a bit of a
Floyd | motorcycle look. The classic Schwinn cross-in-a-circle logo adorns
Floyd | the chain guard.
Floyd |
Floyd | The one piece of non-standard equipment on the bike is a small leather
Floyd | pouch attached to the back of its seat. The Schwinn's front wheel is
Floyd | secured by a bicycle lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x bike lock"

Floyd | (first standing in bay two)
Floyd | The lock has a long hasp that can be inserted through the spokes of a
Floyd | bicycle's wheel then locked to its frame to keep the wheel from
Floyd | turning. The body of the lock has four numbered dials for entering
Floyd | the combination. It's currently attached to the Schwinn's front wheel
Floyd | and locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Recalling the inscription on the lighter, you set the lock's dials to
Floyd | J. Daggett's anniversary date. Success! The lock pops open, and you
Floyd | remove it from the wheel.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Damn!"

DavidW says, "yay you!"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "take bike"

Floyd | The Schwinn isn't one of these state-of-the-art titanium,
Floyd | lift-with-one-finger racing bikes. It has a steel tube frame and it's
Floyd | both heavy and bulky. You decide that the easiest way to move it
Floyd | would be to ride it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "ride bike"

Floyd | There's only so much you can carry while riding a bicycle. You'd
Floyd | better leave the paddle, the sharp hedge clippers, the leaf rake, and
Floyd | the peanut sack here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "huh. Where do we want to ride a bike to?"

vaporware says, "Carrying a paddle, a rake, and a pair of hedge clippers is a piece of cake without the bike, of course."

Floyd | You carefully maneuver the Schwinn through the side entry door and out
Floyd | into the open.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "s"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I hope you're not planning a trip down the cliff."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | West Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "oh! The bike might help us race to the key faster."

DavidW says, "Go back to Triton."

WeirdBeard says, "What'd I miss"

DavidW says, "Nothing. But recap a little."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "l"

Floyd | West Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "Go back to Triton. I bet we can get to the key via the bike."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Triton (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The main path ends here at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The brass plaque in Triton's pedestal is currently standing open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads back west. A smaller footpath continues to the
Floyd | east. The path to the east passes through rolling green lawn then
Floyd | bends south toward the small clearing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "open plaque then close it"

Floyd | The polished brass plaque is already open.
Floyd |
Floyd | The plaque snaps closed against the sculpture's pedestal with a solid
Floyd | "clunk." A moment later you hear the faint but unmistakable sound of
Floyd | metal grating against stone coming from somewhere to the west of you.
Floyd | As soon as it stops the mechanism inside the pedestal starts to tick.
Floyd |
Floyd | A rapid ticking sound is coming from somewhere inside the sculpture's
Floyd | pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | The clock is ticking! You take off on the Schwinn, and after a bit of
Floyd | furious peddling arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear a faint, rapid ticking sound coming from the general area of
Floyd | the sculpture of Triton.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | The clock is ticking! You take off on the Schwinn, and after a bit of
Floyd | furious peddling arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "go go go!"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | The clock is ticking! You take off on the Schwinn, and after a bit of
Floyd | furious peddling arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | The clock is ticking! You take off on the Schwinn, and after a bit of
Floyd | furious peddling arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | West Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | The clock is ticking! You take off on the Schwinn, and after a bit of
Floyd | furious peddling arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | The plaque is still up, revealing the small recess in the stone behind
Floyd | it. The recess contains a small silver key.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "take it!"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "take key"

Floyd | You quickly peddle the Schwinn right up to the sculpture's pedestal
Floyd | and snatch the key out of the recess. It looks like you made it just
Floyd | in the nick of time.
Floyd |
Floyd | Without warning the brass plaque begins to slide downward, grating
Floyd | loudly across the stone as it moves. Within moments it has once again
Floyd | covered the small recess in the sculpture's stone pedestal.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "HOORAY"

DavidW says, "beautiful"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf11"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Now we can use it to unlock the squirrel's head! You hear me? you're going down!"

DavidW says, "ha ha"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x key"

Floyd | The silver key is too small to be a car key or door key. It must fit
Floyd | something else.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Seriously The cabinet is an obvious candidate. What else?"

DavidW says, "The cabinet is the only candidate, I think."

WeirdBeard says, "Really? I thought there were a few more. Guess I was wrong"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | West Lawn (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "n"

Floyd | The Schwinn is no mountain bike. It would be best if you stuck to
Floyd | paved surfaces while riding it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "We've opened the shed and the bike lock. The car is locked, but the key's too small for it."

DavidW says, "oh, and the gate for the estate is locked."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "OH, I was thinking of the shed."

Floyd | The word "oh" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "e"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | East Driveway (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "n"

Floyd | You set off on the Schwinn, and after a leisurely bit of peddling
Floyd | arrive at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "n"

Floyd | You carefully maneuver the Schwinn through the side entry door and
Floyd | into the garage's interior.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage (sitting on the bicycle)
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | Bay two contains a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and
Floyd | a peanut sack (which contains some hedge clippings).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (first taking the air hose, getting out of bay four, then standing in
Floyd | the service bay)
Floyd | There's a momentary hiss of escaping air as you snap the air hose onto
Floyd | the compressor's quick-connect. You coil it on the ground next to the
Floyd | compressor, ready for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "attach hose to tube"

Floyd | (first dropping the inner tube)
Floyd | You press the hose's air chuck onto the valve. Air starts to flow
Floyd | into the inner tube. After a moment or two the compressor motor
Floyd | starts.
Floyd |
Floyd | The tube fills quickly. Once you judge it to be fully inflated you
Floyd | remove the chuck. The compressor motor continues to run for a few
Floyd | seconds as it replenishes the tank, then shuts off. You listen for
Floyd | the telltale hiss of a leak, but hear nothing. It looks like your
Floyd | patch job is holding.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tube"

Floyd | The old black inner tube is fully inflated, and for the moment at
Floyd | least your patch job appears to be holding. It ain't no boat, but it
Floyd | should float.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "out"

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Do we need our stuff?"

DavidW says, "uh, yeah. sorry"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked next to you in the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | The service bay contains an air hose (attached to the compressor) and
Floyd | an inner tube. Bay two contains a paddle, some sharp hedge clippers,
Floyd | a leaf rake, and a peanut sack (which contains some hedge clippings).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You step out of bay two and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a shiny penny, two
Floyd | peanuts, a sales brochure, an acorn, a bicycle lock, a small silver
Floyd | key, and a paddle. You're wearing a gimme cap, a chambray work shirt,
Floyd | and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "enter tube"

Floyd | You see no tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "ack"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked next to you in the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | The service bay contains an air hose (attached to the compressor) and
Floyd | an inner tube. Bay two contains some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf
Floyd | rake, and a peanut sack (which contains some hedge clippings).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You wade out, settle into the inner tube, and start paddling away from
Floyd | the beach. It takes a bit of experimentation to figure out the best
Floyd | paddle stroke to use, but before long you've cleared the breakwater
Floyd | and are moving along nicely.
Floyd |
Floyd | East Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the sandy beach to the
Floyd | south. The fallen rocks lie directly to the west. You'll need to
Floyd | paddle northwest to safely clear them. You rock gently on the light
Floyd | swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "paddle nw"

Floyd | You pick a point a hundred feet seaward of the jagged rocks and start
Floyd | paddling toward it. You have to correct your course a bit to
Floyd | compensate for the onshore breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | Rocky Point (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating just off of the point made by the fallen rocks. To
Floyd | the west you can see a narrow crescent-shaped beach. The sandy beach
Floyd | lies to the southeast. The jagged edges of the rocks loom dangerously
Floyd | close, and the onshore breeze keeps trying to push you closer. You
Floyd | have to paddle vigorously just to maintain your position.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "paddle west"

Floyd | You safely clear the rocky point and paddle briskly toward the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | West Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the southwest. The fallen rocks lie to the
Floyd | southeast. You'll need to paddle east to safely clear them. You rock
Floyd | gently on the light swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "paddle sw"

Floyd | You set out for the crescent-shaped beach. With the breeze to your
Floyd | back it doesn't take long to clear the breakwater. You stand up and
Floyd | drag the inner tube ashore.
Floyd |
Floyd | Crescent Beach
Floyd | The beach is a narrow crescent strewn with broken shells and hemmed in
Floyd | on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. There are a couple of large
Floyd | boulders surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the
Floyd | cliff. Above them is a wide ledge surrounded by a safety railing.
Floyd | The steps that once led from the ledge to the beach have collapsed
Floyd | into a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The boulders are the size of a small house. They're standing against
Floyd | the face of the cliff and are surrounded by thick brush.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x brush"

Floyd | There's a lot of brush growing along the base of the cliff. It's
Floyd | thickest around the two large boulders.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "we might need the clippers after all."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read map"

Floyd | The front of the sales brochure contains the standard vinyl siding
Floyd | marketing spiel.
Floyd |
Floyd | The back of the brochure is much more interesting. The drawing is
Floyd | crudely sketched, but there's no doubt that it's some kind of map. It
Floyd | shows a small beach bordered on both sides by fallen rocks and backed
Floyd | by a cliff. There's an arrow pointing to some bushes next to a large
Floyd | boulder on the southwest side. Behind one of the bushes is marked a
Floyd | bold X.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Using what you remember from reading the map on the back of the
Floyd | brochure as a guide, you carefully search the brush next to the large
Floyd | boulder on the southwest side of the beach. You discover the hidden
Floyd | entrance to a shallow cave.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "for pity's sake"

WeirdBeard says, "I hate guess the verb"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cave"

Floyd | Now that you know where to look, you can just make out the entrance to
Floyd | the shallow cave behind the brush to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sw"

Floyd | Shallow Cave
Floyd | The cave is actually little more than a sheltered niche in the rocks.
Floyd | It's barely big enough for you to stand in. The walls are bare rock.
Floyd | Light filters in from the opening to the northeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a large sample case sitting on the cave floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x case"

Floyd | The sample case is much larger and heavier than most. It's covered in
Floyd | genuine tan pebble-textured Naugahyde with a matching handle and it
Floyd | has shiny brass hardware. There's a small brass nameplate on the
Floyd | front. It's closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Suuuure."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read nameplate"

Floyd | The nameplate has the initials D.R.S. engraved on it. It looks like
Floyd | you've found Mr. Splatz's sample case. You're just glad you didn't
Floyd | also find his dead hand still clutching the handle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "Says who.\"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open case"

Floyd | You open the case and discover that it's filled with vinyl siding
Floyd | samples. Dozens of 'em, in a rainbow of attractive, guaranteed never
Floyd | to fade decorator colors. There are also little miniature storm door
Floyd | samples, and gutter samples, and a ring of colored tags so the
Floyd | customers can pick their favorite shade of pastel, and catalogs, and a
Floyd | photo album of finished projects, and more brochures, and...
Floyd |
Floyd | You quickly snap the case closed before the vinyl fumes overwhelm you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Shallow Cave
Floyd | The cave is actually little more than a sheltered niche in the rocks.
Floyd | It's barely big enough for you to stand in. The walls are bare rock.
Floyd | Light filters in from the opening to the northeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x rock"

Floyd | You see no rock here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x walls"

Floyd | west wall: You see nothing unusual about it.
Floyd | east wall: You see nothing unusual about it.
Floyd | north wall: You see nothing unusual about it.
Floyd | south wall: You see nothing unusual about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "out"

Floyd | Crescent Beach
Floyd | The beach is a narrow crescent strewn with broken shells and hemmed in
Floyd | on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. There are a couple of large
Floyd | boulders surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the
Floyd | cliff. Above them is a wide ledge surrounded by a safety railing.
Floyd | The steps that once led from the ledge to the beach have collapsed
Floyd | into a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can just make out the entrance to a shallow cave behind the brush
Floyd | to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x steps"

Floyd | You see no steps here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x metal"

Floyd | All that's left of the stairway that once descended from the overlook
Floyd | to the beach is a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The sample case is too large and heavy to haul back in the inner tube.
Floyd | You'll have to find some other way of getting it off of the stony
Floyd | beach.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "grr"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a shiny penny, two
Floyd | peanuts, a sales brochure, an acorn, a bicycle lock, a small silver
Floyd | key, a paddle, and a sample case. You're wearing a gimme cap, a
Floyd | chambray work shirt, and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | The inner tube washes up onto the beach.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I suppose, if we had a rope, we could tie one end to the railing, and the other to the case handle."

WeirdBeard asks, "How long do you think the tube is?"

DavidW says, "I think it's a torus shape. It's not a cylinder."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "full score"

Floyd | In 703 moves, you have scored 17 of a possible 24 points. Your score
Floyd | consists of:
Floyd | 1 point for obtaining the business card from the butler
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the paddle from the canoe
Floyd | 1 point for finding the forked stick
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the penny from the pond
Floyd | 1 point for catching the grasshopper
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the bobby pin from the nest
Floyd | 1 point for unlocking the garden shed
Floyd | 1 point for receiving the hedge clippers from the gardener
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the gold lighter from under the Jaguar
Floyd | 1 point for restoring power to the bench grinder
Floyd | 1 point for sharpening the hedge clippers with the bench grinder
Floyd | 1 point for receiving the rake and peanut sack from the gardener
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the sales brochure
Floyd | 1 point for getting the acorn from the squirrel
Floyd | 1 point for unlocking the bicycle lock
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the small silver key from Poseidon &
Floyd | Amphitrite
Floyd | 1 point for inflating the inner tube
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x lock"

Floyd | The lock has a long hasp that can be inserted through the spokes of a
Floyd | bicycle's wheel then locked to its frame to keep the wheel from
Floyd | turning. The body of the lock has four numbered dials for entering
Floyd | the combination. It's currently unlocked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hasp"

Floyd | You see no hasp here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "put case on boulder"

Floyd | There's no good surface on the large boulders.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crescent Beach
Floyd | The beach is a narrow crescent strewn with broken shells and hemmed in
Floyd | on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. There are a couple of large
Floyd | boulders surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the
Floyd | cliff. Above them is a wide ledge surrounded by a safety railing.
Floyd | The steps that once led from the ledge to the beach have collapsed
Floyd | into a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can just make out the entrance to a shallow cave behind the brush
Floyd | to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The narrow crescent-shaped beach is littered with broken shells and
Floyd | hemmed in on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. Two large boulders
Floyd | surrounded by thick brush stand against the face of the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The word "rope" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x chain"

Floyd | You see no chain here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Do games know the word tie by default?"

DavidW says, "They should."

WeirdBeard says, "Damn. Doesn't help then."

DavidW says, "This is a TADS 3 game."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "i"

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a shiny penny, two
Floyd | peanuts, a sales brochure, an acorn, a bicycle lock, a small silver
Floyd | key, a paddle, and a sample case. You're wearing a gimme cap, a
Floyd | chambray work shirt, and some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x gloves"

Floyd | The pair of cowhide grain leather work gloves are well worn from long,
Floyd | hard use, but still intact and pliant enough to wear.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sw"

Floyd | Shallow Cave
Floyd | The cave is actually little more than a sheltered niche in the rocks.
Floyd | It's barely big enough for you to stand in. The walls are bare rock.
Floyd | Light filters in from the opening to the northeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "open lighter"

Floyd | You snap the lighter open and flick the striking wheel. The flint
Floyd | sparks and the wick instantly bursts into flame.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "l"

Floyd | Shallow Cave
Floyd | The cave is actually little more than a sheltered niche in the rocks.
Floyd | It's barely big enough for you to stand in. The walls are bare rock.
Floyd | Light filters in from the opening to the northeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crescent Beach
Floyd | The beach is a narrow crescent strewn with broken shells and hemmed in
Floyd | on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. There are a couple of large
Floyd | boulders surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the
Floyd | cliff. Above them is a wide ledge surrounded by a safety railing.
Floyd | The steps that once led from the ledge to the beach have collapsed
Floyd | into a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can just make out the entrance to a shallow cave behind the brush
Floyd | to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "thought the lighter might reveal more cave details"

WeirdBeard asks, "Other than this and finding the other half of the slingshot is there anything we haven't done?"

DavidW says, "We haven't entered the Jag. We might be able to get two more acorns."

DavidW says, "We haven't entered the house, of course."

WeirdBeard asks, "Wait, There's a canoe with a hole in it. Probably not safe to ride, but maybe to tow?"

DavidW says, "oh."

DavidW says, "It has a huge hole in it, but the canoe is a good idea."

WeirdBeard says, "I idn't think of it because of a: the hole and b: I wanted to go tubing."

DavidW asks, "Do we drop the canoe from the top of the railing and hope a) the canoe doesn't smash and b) the case is exactly the size of the hole for the return trip?"

WeirdBeard says, "a: undo if neccesary and b: sure."

DavidW says, "Maybe the canoe hole can be plugged with the bag of twigs for all I know."

Floyd | You wade out, settle into the inner tube, and start paddling away from
Floyd | the beach. You soon clear the breakwater.
Floyd |
Floyd | West Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the southwest. The fallen rocks lie to the
Floyd | southeast. You'll need to paddle east to safely clear them. You rock
Floyd | gently on the light swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | West Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the southwest. The fallen rocks lie to the
Floyd | southeast. You'll need to paddle east to safely clear them. You rock
Floyd | gently on the light swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "paddle e"

Floyd | You pick a point a hundred feet seaward of the jagged rocks and start
Floyd | paddling toward it. You have to correct your course a bit to
Floyd | compensate for the onshore breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | Rocky Point (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating just off of the point made by the fallen rocks. To
Floyd | the west you can see a narrow crescent-shaped beach. The sandy beach
Floyd | lies to the southeast. The jagged edges of the rocks loom dangerously
Floyd | close, and the onshore breeze keeps trying to push you closer. You
Floyd | have to paddle vigorously just to maintain your position.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You set out for the sandy beach. With the breeze to your back it
Floyd | doesn't take long to clear the breakwater. You stand up and drag the
Floyd | inner tube ashore.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked next to you in the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | The service bay contains an air hose (attached to the compressor).
Floyd | Bay two contains some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take canoe"

Floyd | (first standing in bay four)
Floyd | The battered old canoe is to high for you to be able to reach from the
Floyd | garage floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "stand on cabinet"

Floyd | Just to be safe, you should close the tool cabinet before trying to
Floyd | climb on top of it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The gaping hole in the bottom of the canoe is big enough to sink it
Floyd | like a rock. You might as well leave it where it is.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hole"

Floyd | (the hole in the canoe)
Floyd | It looks like the canoe has had a few to many close encounters with
Floyd | jagged rocks, one of which no doubt ripped the gaping hole you can see
Floyd | in its bottom. You're no expert, but it looks to be beyond repair.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The word "measure" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x hose"

Floyd | The 50' air hose is long enough to reach about anything in the service
Floyd | bay. It has an air chuck at one end for filling tires, and a
Floyd | quick-connect at the other end for attaching it to the compressor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x hose"

Floyd | The 50' air hose is long enough to reach about anything in the service
Floyd | bay. It has an air chuck at one end for filling tires, and a
Floyd | quick-connect at the other end for attaching it to the compressor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "oh ho. 50', eh?"

DavidW says, "That should reach."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You step out of the service bay and into the main part of the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | The thick (but neatly trimmed) hedge blocks your way. Obvious exits
Floyd | lead north, back to the garage; south, to the east gravel driveway;
Floyd | and east, to the top of the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You soon realize you're in for a bit of a hike. The path passes to
Floyd | the east of a large greenhouse, then bends northeast toward the cliffs
Floyd | overlooking the ocean. The ground turns rocky and starts sloping
Floyd | downward. Before long you're winding down stairs cut into the face of
Floyd | the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | Crescent Beach Overlook
Floyd | The steps end at wide ledge overlooking the ocean. The stairway that
Floyd | once continued on down the cliff face to the narrow crescent-shaped
Floyd | beach some fifty feet below you has collapsed into a twisted pile of
Floyd | corroded metal. The beach itself is littered with broken shells and
Floyd | hemmed in on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. A rusty iron
Floyd | railing surrounds the overlook and protects you from falling.
Floyd |
Floyd | The way back starts with a long climb back up the steps.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "tie hose to railing"

Floyd | You tie one end of the air hose to the iron railing and toss the other
Floyd | end over the edge of the cliff. The hose is thicker and stiffer than
Floyd | a typical rope and you can only manage a single overhand knot. Even
Floyd | so it will probably hold more weight than the rusty railing can
Floyd | handle. A quick check confirms that the free end of the hose is
Floyd | hanging a couple of feet above the ground below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | The hike back isn't any shorter, and it's all uphill. You're huffing
Floyd | and puffing a bit by the time you make it back to Poseidon &
Floyd | Amphitrite.
Floyd |
Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube and a paddle here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The word "eater" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "enter tube"

Floyd | You wade out, settle into the inner tube, and start paddling away from
Floyd | the beach. It takes a bit of experimentation to figure out the best
Floyd | paddle stroke to use, but before long you've cleared the breakwater
Floyd | and are moving along nicely.
Floyd |
Floyd | East Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the sandy beach to the
Floyd | south. The fallen rocks lie directly to the west. You'll need to
Floyd | paddle northwest to safely clear them. You rock gently on the light
Floyd | swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "nw"

Floyd | You pick a point a hundred feet seaward of the jagged rocks and start
Floyd | paddling toward it. You have to correct your course a bit to
Floyd | compensate for the onshore breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | Rocky Point (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating just off of the point made by the fallen rocks. To
Floyd | the west you can see a narrow crescent-shaped beach. The sandy beach
Floyd | lies to the southeast. The jagged edges of the rocks loom dangerously
Floyd | close, and the onshore breeze keeps trying to push you closer. You
Floyd | have to paddle vigorously just to maintain your position.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You safely clear the rocky point and paddle briskly toward the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | West Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the southwest. The fallen rocks lie to the
Floyd | southeast. You'll need to paddle east to safely clear them. You rock
Floyd | gently on the light swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "sw"

Floyd | You set out for the crescent-shaped beach. With the breeze to your
Floyd | back it doesn't take long to clear the breakwater. You stand up and
Floyd | drag the inner tube ashore.
Floyd |
Floyd | Crescent Beach
Floyd | The beach is a narrow crescent strewn with broken shells and hemmed in
Floyd | on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. There are a couple of large
Floyd | boulders surrounded by thick brush standing against the face of the
Floyd | cliff. Above them is a wide ledge surrounded by a safety railing.
Floyd | The steps that once led from the ledge to the beach have collapsed
Floyd | into a twisted pile of corroded metal.
Floyd |
Floyd | An air hose hangs from the iron railing above you. Its free end sways
Floyd | within easy reach.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can just make out the entrance to a shallow cave behind the brush
Floyd | to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see a sample case and an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "tie hose to case"

Floyd | You feed the free end of the air hose through the handle of the sample
Floyd | case and tie a knot. You lower the case until it's full weight is
Floyd | held by the hose. The rusty iron railing above you creaks and wobbles
Floyd | ominously, but for the moment at least seems to be holding. The case
Floyd | sways gently in the breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You wade out, settle into the inner tube, and start paddling away from
Floyd | the beach. You soon clear the breakwater.
Floyd |
Floyd | West Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the narrow
Floyd | crescent-shaped beach to the southwest. The fallen rocks lie to the
Floyd | southeast. You'll need to paddle east to safely clear them. You rock
Floyd | gently on the light swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pick a point a hundred feet seaward of the jagged rocks and start
Floyd | paddling toward it. You have to correct your course a bit to
Floyd | compensate for the onshore breeze.
Floyd |
Floyd | Rocky Point (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating just off of the point made by the fallen rocks. To
Floyd | the west you can see a narrow crescent-shaped beach. The sandy beach
Floyd | lies to the southeast. The jagged edges of the rocks loom dangerously
Floyd | close, and the onshore breeze keeps trying to push you closer. You
Floyd | have to paddle vigorously just to maintain your position.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "se"

Floyd | You safely clear the rocky point and paddle briskly toward the wide,
Floyd | sandy beach to the southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | East Bay (sitting on the inner tube)
Floyd | You are floating several hundred yards off of the sandy beach to the
Floyd | south. The fallen rocks lie directly to the west. You'll need to
Floyd | paddle northwest to safely clear them. You rock gently on the light
Floyd | swell.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You set out for the sandy beach. With the breeze to your back it
Floyd | doesn't take long to clear the breakwater. You stand up and drag the
Floyd | inner tube ashore.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop paddle"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You soon realize you're in for a bit of a hike. The path passes to
Floyd | the east of a large greenhouse, then bends northeast toward the cliffs
Floyd | overlooking the ocean. The ground turns rocky and starts sloping
Floyd | downward. Before long you're winding down stairs cut into the face of
Floyd | the cliff.
Floyd |
Floyd | Crescent Beach Overlook
Floyd | The steps end at wide ledge overlooking the ocean. The stairway that
Floyd | once continued on down the cliff face to the narrow crescent-shaped
Floyd | beach some fifty feet below you has collapsed into a twisted pile of
Floyd | corroded metal. The beach itself is littered with broken shells and
Floyd | hemmed in on both ends by a jumble of fallen rock. A rusty iron
Floyd | railing surrounds the overlook and protects you from falling.
Floyd |
Floyd | The way back starts with a long climb back up the steps.
Floyd |
Floyd | An air hose is tied to the iron railing next to you. Its free end
Floyd | hangs over the edge of the cliff. It has a sample case tied to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "take hose"

Floyd | You try to keep the sample case from banging into the face of the
Floyd | cliff as you haul the hose up. You can imagine it popping open and
Floyd | scattering samples and brochures all over the beach. But it holds
Floyd | together, and with a bit of effort you manage to drag it over the rail
Floyd | and set it on the ground. You untie both ends of the air hose and
Floyd | toss it aside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "OK. I wasn't playing at the beginning. I guess that we're trying to look like a salesman>"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop shirt"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x cap"

Floyd | The cap looks like your typical gimme cap, the kind businesses like to
Floyd | emblazon with their company logos then sell to rubes who actually WANT
Floyd | to look like walking billboards. This one is a bit worn and has a few
Floyd | grease stains on it, but looks to be perfectly serviceable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You are carrying a package, a business card, a forked stick, a
Floyd | screwdriver, a gold lighter, a screw, a blown fuse, a shiny penny, two
Floyd | peanuts, a sales brochure, an acorn, a bicycle lock, a small silver
Floyd | key, and a sample case. You're wearing some leather work gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The hike back isn't any shorter, and it's all uphill. You're huffing
Floyd | and puffing a bit by the time you make it back to Poseidon &
Floyd | Amphitrite.
Floyd |
Floyd | Poseidon & Amphitrite
Floyd | The flagstone path ends at a circular open area, also paved in gray
Floyd | flagstone. There is a large and beautifully crafted bronze sculpture
Floyd | set on an elevated stone pedestal in its center. A polished brass
Floyd | plaque is attached to the pedestal below the sculpture. Decorative
Floyd | concrete benches are spaced around the perimeter of the pavement. The
Floyd | entire area is completely surrounded by lush flower beds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main flagstone path leads back east. A rocky footpath leads north
Floyd | toward the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | West Lawn
Floyd | The flagstone path runs east to west through acres of low, rolling
Floyd | hills covered by emerald-green lawn. The path itself is bordered on
Floyd | both sides by lush flower beds. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The main path leads north toward what appears to be greenhouse in the
Floyd | distance. The way back to the mansion is east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You ascend the marble steps, arriving at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | As best as you can tell you're all set for your debut as a vinyl
Floyd | siding salesman. You just hope you can figure out some really clever
Floyd | way to SAVE yourself from almost certain torture and death once you
Floyd | get inside. (Knock again to continue.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You set the sample case on the steps next to you, take the business
Floyd | card and sales brochure in hand, square your shoulders, take a deep
Floyd | breath, and rap your knuckles firmly on the door. The thudding of
Floyd | your heart sounds louder than the footsteps thudding down the hall.
Floyd | The door swings open. Dark eyes glare at you.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Good afternoon sir! My name is Splatz, Dwayne R. Splatz. But please
Floyd | call me Dwayne, everybody else does. Ha ha." You hand the butler
Floyd | your card. His scowl darkens.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I'm here today representing Plasti-Side Inc.'s complete line of vinyl
Floyd | siding products." You make a show of looking around. "You have a
Floyd | pretty nice place here, and I'm sure you'd like to keep it that way.
Floyd | And believe me, there's nothing like vinyl siding for keeping a home
Floyd | looking great!"
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler's scowl becomes thunderous. You see his thick fingers
Floyd | clutch into mallet-sized fists. You suppress a sudden overwhelming
Floyd | urge to see Paris one more time before you die, starting right now
Floyd | with a really quick trip down the steps. You hand the butler your
Floyd | sales brochure.
Floyd |
Floyd | "As you can see by these photographs, our products can make a dramatic
Floyd | difference in the appearance of almost any structure. And unlike our
Floyd | competitors who make their siding from old LP records, we use only the
Floyd | finest virgin vinyl in their manufacture. In fact I happen to have
Floyd | several nice samples here with me. Let me just show you..."
Floyd |
Floyd | You bend over to reach for your sample case. You don't even see the
Floyd | massive fist hurtling toward your head.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | The first thing you become aware of is something cold and hard
Floyd | pressing against your face. It takes you a moment to figure out it's
Floyd | the floor. You open your eyes, and discover that you've been dumped
Floyd | in the corner of a large stone chamber.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | WARNING! You have recently performed an action (entering the mansion
Floyd | unprepared) that will prevent you from winning the game. To correct
Floyd | this you may type UNDO (multiple times if necessary) or RESTORE to a
Floyd | previously saved game.
Floyd |
Floyd | (If you would prefer not to be alerted when the game becomes
Floyd | unwinnable in the future, or to SAVE a game that's in an unwinnable
Floyd | state, type ALERTS OFF.)
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I see we'll have to undo."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "knock on door".
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "knock on door".
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You descend the marble steps, arriving at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | By the Pond
Floyd | The driveway runs generally north to south, with occasional deviations
Floyd | to pass by a large tree or, as is the case here, around a decorative
Floyd | cement pond. A fountain sprays and splashes cheerfully in the center
Floyd | of the pond. The neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along both
Floyd | sides of the driveway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | Garage
Floyd | The garage interior is divided into five open parking bays and a
Floyd | service bay equipped with a hydraulic lift and an air compressor. A
Floyd | classic Jaguar E-Type convertible sits on the lift. The lift is
Floyd | currently up.
Floyd |
Floyd | A battered old canoe hangs on the wall in bay four.
Floyd |
Floyd | A bicycle is parked next to you in the garage.
Floyd |
Floyd | A large red tool cabinet sits under the canoe.
Floyd |
Floyd | Bay two contains some sharp hedge clippers, a leaf rake, and a peanut
Floyd | sack (which contains some hedge clippings).
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "e"

Floyd | You pass through the opening you cleared while trimming the hedge and
Floyd | turn northeast toward the cliffs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "d"

Floyd | Sandy Beach
Floyd | The beach is wide and sandy. It follows the curve of the bay to the
Floyd | east and eventually bends south and disappears behind the cliffs. To
Floyd | the west it ends at a jumble of fallen rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | You see an inner tube and a paddle here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cut tube with clippers"

Floyd | You start hacking up the inner tube up with the sharpened clippers.
Floyd | Your first cut causes it to deflate with a loud whoosh. Before long
Floyd | you manage to cut a single long strip of rubber from it. The inner
Floyd | tube is completely destroyed in the process. You discard what's left.
Floyd | Hopefully you have some kind of really clever use in mind for the
Floyd | rubber band you've just made.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Ah, a weapon. Good idea. You tie the ends of the rubber band to the
Floyd | tines of the Y-shaped stick, and voila! You have a slingshot.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "save"

Floyd | Please select a file in which to save the current position >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf13"

Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "goodness knows how I guessed that"

WeirdBeard says, "Ha-ha. Radical. Inner tube."

DavidW says, "ha"

DavidW says, "didn't realize I said that"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "u"

Floyd | Top of the Cliff
Floyd | You can see why J. Daggett's great-grandfather chose this site for his
Floyd | estate. The view from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. The bay
Floyd | stretches out before you. A wide expanse of sandy beach lies below.
Floyd | The day is sunny and relatively calm, with only a slight onshore
Floyd | breeze. A gentle swell rolls onto the sand.
Floyd |
Floyd | A wide, sandy path leads down to the beach. The bare footpath leads
Floyd | back toward the garage to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You leave the cliffs behind and head back toward the garage. A brisk
Floyd | hike soon brings you to the opening you cleared while trimming the
Floyd | hedge.
Floyd |
Floyd | Garage Entrance
Floyd | To the north the driveway ends at the entrance to a large garage. You
Floyd | count six bay doors for vehicles, as well as a side entry door for
Floyd | those on foot. The neatly trimmed hedge continues along the west side
Floyd | of the driveway to the garage. A bare footpath passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east then bends northeast toward the cliffs overlooking
Floyd | the ocean. The driveway leads back to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | East Driveway
Floyd | The driveway bends to the north here, leading toward a large
Floyd | outbuilding in the distance. A flagstone path passes through the
Floyd | hedge to the east. The way back to the mansion is west. Otherwise
Floyd | the neatly trimmed hedge continues unbroken along the outside edge of
Floyd | the driveway on both sides.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | Gravel Driveway
Floyd | The gravel driveway starts at the foot of the marble steps, then winds
Floyd | off across the lawn to the south. It also continues around the
Floyd | building to the east. A neatly trimmed hedge borders the outside edge
Floyd | of the driveway on both sides, broken only by the entrance to a
Floyd | flagstone path leading west. Tall trees dot the landscape, getting
Floyd | generally thicker to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "n"

Floyd | You ascend the marble steps, arriving at...
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Entrance
Floyd | You are standing before the main entrance to a huge, foreboding Gothic
Floyd | mansion. A massive pair of solid oak doors leads inside. To the
Floyd | south marble steps lead down to the gravel driveway behind you. At
Floyd | the moment the doors are closed, and there is no one in sight. There
Floyd | is a polished brass plaque mounted on the wall next to the doors.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Just as you're about to knock it occurs to you that real vinyl siding
Floyd | salesmen hardly ever make customer calls while lugging around some
Floyd | sharp hedge clippers.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "drop clippers"

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "knock on door"

Floyd | As best as you can tell you're all set for your debut as a vinyl
Floyd | siding salesman. You just hope you can figure out some really clever
Floyd | way to SAVE yourself from almost certain torture and death once you
Floyd | get inside. (Knock again to continue.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "g"

Floyd | You set the sample case on the steps next to you, take the business
Floyd | card and sales brochure in hand, square your shoulders, take a deep
Floyd | breath, and rap your knuckles firmly on the door. The thudding of
Floyd | your heart sounds louder than the footsteps thudding down the hall.
Floyd | The door swings open. Dark eyes glare at you.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Good afternoon sir! My name is Splatz, Dwayne R. Splatz. But please
Floyd | call me Dwayne, everybody else does. Ha ha." You hand the butler
Floyd | your card. His scowl darkens.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I'm here today representing Plasti-Side Inc.'s complete line of vinyl
Floyd | siding products." You make a show of looking around. "You have a
Floyd | pretty nice place here, and I'm sure you'd like to keep it that way.
Floyd | And believe me, there's nothing like vinyl siding for keeping a home
Floyd | looking great!"
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler's scowl becomes thunderous. You see his thick fingers
Floyd | clutch into mallet-sized fists. You suppress a sudden overwhelming
Floyd | urge to see Paris one more time before you die, starting right now
Floyd | with a really quick trip down the steps. You hand the butler your
Floyd | sales brochure.
Floyd |
Floyd | "As you can see by these photographs, our products can make a dramatic
Floyd | difference in the appearance of almost any structure. And unlike our
Floyd | competitors who make their siding from old LP records, we use only the
Floyd | finest virgin vinyl in their manufacture. In fact I happen to have
Floyd | several nice samples here with me. Let me just show you..."
Floyd |
Floyd | You bend over to reach for your sample case. You don't even see the
Floyd | massive fist hurtling toward your head.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | The first thing you become aware of is something cold and hard
Floyd | pressing against your face. It takes you a moment to figure out it's
Floyd | the floor. You open your eyes, and discover that you've been dumped
Floyd | in the corner of a large stone chamber.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot butler with slingshot"

Floyd | You take careful aim at the back of the butler's head, draw back the
Floyd | acorn, and fire. As fate would have it he chooses that exact moment
Floyd | to lean forward and peer at the flashing lights on the rack's control
Floyd | panel. The acorn grazes the top of his skull, hits the stone wall,
Floyd | and explodes into a thousand pieces. He spins around with a snarl and
Floyd | starts toward you. You bolt for the doorway.
Floyd |
Floyd | He moves quickly to cut you off and lunges for you as you dart by.
Floyd | You duck and dodge to the left. His hand misses, but you loose your
Floyd | balance and tumble to the floor. Your head cracks hard against cold,
Floyd | unyielding stone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The world plunges into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious (Again)
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You sit up and look around with a start. You fully expect to find
Floyd | yourself strapped to the rack in the dungeon. But you see blue sky
Floyd | overhead. It takes you a moment to recognize your surroundings.
Floyd | You're lying on a patch of grass next to a gravel road. Tall trees
Floyd | loom overhead. Just to the north is a high stone wall, and a very
Floyd | familiar-looking iron gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet. Nothing seems to be broken. In fact,
Floyd | aside from a sore jaw and a pounding headache you're in perfect
Floyd | health. You're also, for the first time since you got here,
Floyd | completely empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "shoot butler with slingshot".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "why the undo?"

WeirdBeard asks, "We lost, didn't we?"

DavidW says, "I wasn't sure. The game didn't say we'd put the game into an unwinnable state."

WeirdBeard says, "Try again and go south."

DavidW says, "yeah. We should at least see if it's a loss or not."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot butler with slingshot"

Floyd | You take careful aim at the back of the butler's head, draw back the
Floyd | acorn, and fire. As fate would have it he chooses that exact moment
Floyd | to lean forward and peer at the flashing lights on the rack's control
Floyd | panel. The acorn grazes the top of his skull, hits the stone wall,
Floyd | and explodes into a thousand pieces. He spins around with a snarl and
Floyd | starts toward you. You bolt for the doorway.
Floyd |
Floyd | He moves quickly to cut you off and lunges for you as you dart by.
Floyd | You duck and dodge to the left. His hand misses, but you loose your
Floyd | balance and tumble to the floor. Your head cracks hard against cold,
Floyd | unyielding stone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The world plunges into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious (Again)
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You sit up and look around with a start. You fully expect to find
Floyd | yourself strapped to the rack in the dungeon. But you see blue sky
Floyd | overhead. It takes you a moment to recognize your surroundings.
Floyd | You're lying on a patch of grass next to a gravel road. Tall trees
Floyd | loom overhead. Just to the north is a high stone wall, and a very
Floyd | familiar-looking iron gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet. Nothing seems to be broken. In fact,
Floyd | aside from a sore jaw and a pounding headache you're in perfect
Floyd | health. You're also, for the first time since you got here,
Floyd | completely empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "s"

Floyd | You give the gate a final shake, turn, and start your long, lonely
Floyd | hike back up the road.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE LOST ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 828 moves, you have scored 20 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "ah"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "s".
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "shoot butler with slingshot".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot skeleton with slingshot"

Floyd | Thankfully there aren't any skeletons hanging in the dungeon.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler adjusts one of the dials on the rack's control panel and
Floyd | pushes a red button. The indicator lights flash, but nothing else
Floyd | obvious happens. He scratches his head, then pulls his spiral
Floyd | notebook out of his pocket and lays it on the rack. He begins to flip
Floyd | through its pages.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "shoot skeleton with slingshot".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x panel"

Floyd | The control panel is mounted to the wall over the rack. It has two
Floyd | round black dials for setting various functions, and a large red
Floyd | pushbutton for activating them. Several indicator lights, also
Floyd | unlabeled, flash in seemingly random patterns. A pair of electrical
Floyd | cables tipped with clamps hang from the bottom of the panel.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler adjusts one of the dials on the rack's control panel and
Floyd | pushes a red button. The indicator lights flash, but nothing else
Floyd | obvious happens. He scratches his head, then pulls his spiral
Floyd | notebook out of his pocket and lays it on the rack. He begins to flip
Floyd | through its pages.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "out"

Floyd | You carefully consider your options. The butler has his back to you,
Floyd | and looks engrossed in his task. You figure you have a good chance to
Floyd | make the open doorway. You decide to go for it.
Floyd |
Floyd | You start by crouching low and moving forward as quietly as possible,
Floyd | but you only manage a couple of steps before your flickering shadow on
Floyd | the wall gives you away. The butler grunts in surprise and spins
Floyd | around. You kick it into high gear.
Floyd |
Floyd | He moves quickly to cut you off and lunges for you as you dart by.
Floyd | You duck and dodge to the left. His hand misses, but you loose your
Floyd | balance and tumble to the floor. Your head cracks hard against cold,
Floyd | unyielding stone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The world plunges into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious (Again)
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You sit up and look around with a start. You fully expect to find
Floyd | yourself strapped to the rack in the dungeon. But you see blue sky
Floyd | overhead. It takes you a moment to recognize your surroundings.
Floyd | You're lying on a patch of grass next to a gravel road. Tall trees
Floyd | loom overhead. Just to the north is a high stone wall, and a very
Floyd | familiar-looking iron gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet. Nothing seems to be broken. In fact,
Floyd | aside from a sore jaw and a pounding headache you're in perfect
Floyd | health. You're also, for the first time since you got here,
Floyd | completely empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "out".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use. His notebook is lying
Floyd | open on the rack in front of him.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "read notebook"

Floyd | (first trying to take the spiral notebook)
Floyd | The last thing in the world you want to do is get anywhere near the
Floyd | torture rack. You decide to try something else.
Floyd |
Floyd | Having found the information he was looking for in his notebook, the
Floyd | butler turns a dial one click to the left and pushes the red button.
Floyd | Lights flash. The four winches mounted to the corners of the rack
Floyd | whine to life and start spooling out cable. He lets them run briefly,
Floyd | then pushes the button again to stop them.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "shoot panel"

Floyd | (with the slingshot)
Floyd | You take careful aim at the control panel, draw back the acorn, and
Floyd | fire. The acorn flies wide, hits the stone wall, and explodes into a
Floyd | thousand pieces. Startled, the butler spins around with a snarl and
Floyd | starts toward you. You bolt for the doorway. (first removing the
Floyd | acorn)
Floyd |
Floyd | He moves quickly to cut you off and lunges for you as you dart by.
Floyd | You duck and dodge to the left. His hand misses, but you loose your
Floyd | balance and tumble to the floor. Your head cracks hard against cold,
Floyd | unyielding stone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The world plunges into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious (Again)
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You sit up and look around with a start. You fully expect to find
Floyd | yourself strapped to the rack in the dungeon. But you see blue sky
Floyd | overhead. It takes you a moment to recognize your surroundings.
Floyd | You're lying on a patch of grass next to a gravel road. Tall trees
Floyd | loom overhead. Just to the north is a high stone wall, and a very
Floyd | familiar-looking iron gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet. Nothing seems to be broken. In fact,
Floyd | aside from a sore jaw and a pounding headache you're in perfect
Floyd | health. You're also, for the first time since you got here,
Floyd | completely empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "shoot panel".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use. His notebook is lying
Floyd | open on the rack in front of him.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x maiden"

Floyd | The word "maiden" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "shoot notebook"

Floyd | The last thing in the world you want to do is get anywhere near the
Floyd | torture rack. You decide to try something else.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler turns the same dial one click to the right and pushes the
Floyd | red button. The cables retract. The winches stop automatically when
Floyd | the cables are fully retracted.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "the maiden and skeletons aren't there."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "x rack"

Floyd | The rack sits against the far wall. Its main component is a large
Floyd | metal table with a perforated steel top. The traditional large barrel
Floyd | winch and ratchet have been replaced with modern cable winches at each
Floyd | corner. Shackles are attached to the winches. Electrical cables and
Floyd | clamps hang from a control panel mounted to the wall above the table.
Floyd | A hot iron is warming up in an electric brazier attached to the foot
Floyd | of the table. The butler's notebook is lying open on the rack's
Floyd | perforated steel top.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler clicks the same dial to a new position, pushes the button,
Floyd | then rotates the other dial clockwise. The glow of the electric
Floyd | brazier intensifies.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "shoot brazier"

Floyd | (with the slingshot)
Floyd | You take careful aim at the electric brazier, draw back the acorn, and
Floyd | fire. The acorn flies wide, hits the stone wall, and explodes into a
Floyd | thousand pieces. Startled, the butler spins around with a snarl and
Floyd | starts toward you. You bolt for the doorway. (first removing the
Floyd | acorn)
Floyd |
Floyd | He moves quickly to cut you off and lunges for you as you dart by.
Floyd | You duck and dodge to the left. His hand misses, but you loose your
Floyd | balance and tumble to the floor. Your head cracks hard against cold,
Floyd | unyielding stone.
Floyd |
Floyd | The world plunges into darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lying Unconscious (Again)
Floyd | The blackness slowly diminishes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You sit up and look around with a start. You fully expect to find
Floyd | yourself strapped to the rack in the dungeon. But you see blue sky
Floyd | overhead. It takes you a moment to recognize your surroundings.
Floyd | You're lying on a patch of grass next to a gravel road. Tall trees
Floyd | loom overhead. Just to the north is a high stone wall, and a very
Floyd | familiar-looking iron gate.
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle to your feet. Nothing seems to be broken. In fact,
Floyd | aside from a sore jaw and a pounding headache you're in perfect
Floyd | health. You're also, for the first time since you got here,
Floyd | completely empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Outside the Gate
Floyd | The mansion's main gate is closed and locked behind you. The package
Floyd | is gone. The way home lies down the road to the south. It will be
Floyd | dark soon. You might as well start walking.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "shoot brazier".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dungeon
Floyd | The chamber is large an oppressive. Tall stone columns support heavy
Floyd | overhead beams. Flickering torches make shadows on the wall. It
Floyd | feels like you're deep underground, but you could just as easily be in
Floyd | a windowless tower.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's not hard to figure out the chamber's purpose. In fact you're
Floyd | rather surprised not to see manacled skeletons hanging from the walls
Floyd | and an iron maiden in the corner. There is a torture rack however, or
Floyd | at least the modern high-tech equivalent of one. It's sitting against
Floyd | the far wall. The only visible exit is the open doorway next to it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing next to the torture rack with his back to you.
Floyd | It looks like he's busy preparing it for use. His notebook is lying
Floyd | open on the rack in front of him.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x beams"

Floyd | Maybe you'll have time to study torture chamber construction details
Floyd | later. Right now you have your ass to save.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler uncoils the two electric cables and lays them out on the
Floyd | bench. He selects a new dial position, and pushes the red button.
Floyd | There's a crack of electricity as twin arcs jump between the ends of
Floyd | the cables and the top of the bench. He punches the button again to
Floyd | shut the current off.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "climb columns"

Floyd | The stone columns aren't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | Apparently dissatisfied with the result, the butler turns one of the
Floyd | dials all the way clockwise and pushes the button. The clamps jump
Floyd | and the sharp crackle of electricity fills the air. He lets them buzz
Floyd | for a couple of seconds then punches the button again to shut them
Floyd | off.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "shoot the button when he grabs the cables"

DavidW says, "ooh. nice idea."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "z"

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler picks up the ends of the cables and holds them up to the
Floyd | light. He inspects them closely, probably looking for signs of
Floyd | pitting or corrosion.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "has he actually grabbed the cables at some point?"

DavidW says, "aha"

DavidW says, "do it"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "shoot the button"

Floyd | (with the slingshot)
Floyd | You take careful aim at the large red pushbutton, draw back the acorn,
Floyd | and fire. The acorn flies true, smacks squarely into its intended
Floyd | target, and explodes into a thousand pieces. Electrical current arcs
Floyd | through the butler's body. Unable to let go of the cables, he jerks
Floyd | wildly until a breaker in the control panel finally opens and shuts
Floyd | the power off. He slowly collapses into a twitching heap on the
Floyd | floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | Seeing your chance, you toss the slingshot aside and make a break for
Floyd | the doorway. You do have the presence of mind to grab the butler's
Floyd | notebook as you pass by the rack. He groans loudly, hurrying you on
Floyd | your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | You plunge through the open doorway into darkness. Unable to see, you
Floyd | slow and begin to feel your way along the wall. The stone quickly
Floyd | gives way to cold metal. You see a faint glow of light ahead of you.
Floyd | You move toward it, and enter a small square room. As soon as you
Floyd | cross the threshold a sliding steel door whooshes closed behind you.
Floyd | An overhead fluorescent fixture flickers to life.
Floyd |
Floyd | Elevator Room
Floyd | This small, windowless room has bare metal walls and two exits - the
Floyd | sliding steel door you entered through to the south, and a pair of
Floyd | elevator doors ahead of you to the north. It is lit by a recessed
Floyd | fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The elevator doors are closed.
Floyd | The control panel mounted on the wall next to the elevator looks
Floyd | unusually complex.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "push c1".
Floyd |
Floyd | Elevator Room
Floyd | This small, windowless room has bare metal walls and two exits - the
Floyd | sliding steel door you entered through to the south, and a pair of
Floyd | elevator doors ahead of you to the north. It is lit by a recessed
Floyd | fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The elevator doors are closed.
Floyd | The control panel mounted on the wall next to the elevator looks
Floyd | unusually complex.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "push c2"

Floyd | Click.
Floyd | (nothing happens)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "The button display is probably in colour in a normal terp."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "push c2".
Floyd |
Floyd | Elevator Room
Floyd | This small, windowless room has bare metal walls and two exits - the
Floyd | sliding steel door you entered through to the south, and a pair of
Floyd | elevator doors ahead of you to the north. It is lit by a recessed
Floyd | fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The elevator doors are closed.
Floyd | The control panel mounted on the wall next to the elevator looks
Floyd | unusually complex.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "push c3"

Floyd | Click.
Floyd | (nothing happens)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "push c3".
Floyd |
Floyd | Elevator Room
Floyd | This small, windowless room has bare metal walls and two exits - the
Floyd | sliding steel door you entered through to the south, and a pair of
Floyd | elevator doors ahead of you to the north. It is lit by a recessed
Floyd | fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The elevator doors are closed.
Floyd | The control panel mounted on the wall next to the elevator looks
Floyd | unusually complex.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "Is there a way to access the save game from here?"

WeirdBeard says, "On my computer, or yours I mean."

DavidW says, "uh, not that I know of. Ask Jota, I guess."

WeirdBeard asks, "Want to just use hints for this section, then?"

DavidW says, "It's 8 o'clock here. I've been playing since 3. I think I need to stop."

WeirdBeard says, "OK"

DavidW says, "Also, I've forgotten to take my medicine."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "hint"

Floyd | (Warning: Some people don't like built-in hints, since the temptation
Floyd | to ask for help prematurely can become overwhelming when hints are so
Floyd | close at hand. If you're worried that your willpower won't hold up,
Floyd | you can disable hints for the rest of this session by typing HINTS
Floyd | OFF. If you still want to see the hints now, type HINT.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | 1
Floyd |
Floyd | How do I operate the elevator control panel?
Floyd |
Floyd | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the
Floyd | previous menu, or 'Q' to quit.
Floyd |
Floyd | Did you by any chance pick up anything on your way out of the dungeon?
Floyd | [1/7]
Floyd |
Floyd |

DavidW says, "I think the elevator is a one-right-path puzzle."

WeirdBeard says, "..floyd"

DavidW asks, "erg. Did we get anything from the dungeon?"

WeirdBeard says, "No, the text said we left"

WeirdBeard says, "probably the key card"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "l"

Floyd | Check your inventory. [2/7]
Floyd |
Floyd |

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "l"

Floyd | Have you read the butler's notebook? [3/7]
Floyd |
Floyd |

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "q"

Floyd | Done.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "read notebook"

Floyd | You flip through the pages of the notebook looking for something,
Floyd | anything you can use. Salesman shot put records. Nope. Recipe for
Floyd | Thai Red Curry Beef. Nope. A bunch of stuff in one of the Asian
Floyd | languages. Nope. Torture rack operation and maintenance. Nope,
Floyd | nope, and nope. You finally find what you're looking for at the very
Floyd | back of the notebook The first part looks like it was copied right out
Floyd | of an operating manual.
Floyd |
Floyd | Guide to Elevator Operation:
Floyd | 1. Press RESET to start.
Floyd | 2. Press one or more grid buttons (A1..E5) to extinguish them. Note
Floyd | that only one row of buttons (A..E) may be accessed during a single
Floyd | entry cycle.
Floyd | 3. Press NEXT when you have completed your selection(s) to end your
Floyd | entry cycle.
Floyd | 4. The controller will extinguish one or more grid buttons (following
Floyd | the rules above) and complete it's entry cycle.
Floyd | 5. Repeat steps 2-4 until all grid buttons have been extinguished.
Floyd | 6. The elevator door will open if, and only if, the controller is
Floyd | forced to extinguish the last available button.
Floyd |
Floyd | The next page is filled with a list of the butler's personal notes on
Floyd | the control panel. They're also in English (thank goodness), and have
Floyd | been heavily crossed out and revised. It looks like he spent quite a
Floyd | bit of time struggling with it.
Floyd |
Floyd | Tips
Floyd | - The AI is randomized. J.D.W. says there's no fixed pattern that
Floyd | will always work. I actually have to outplay the damn thing every
Floyd | time!
Floyd | - I can make it go first by just pushing NEXT, but when I do it always
Floyd | wins.
Floyd | - E1 seems to be a good first move.
Floyd | - Push Next, and after it takes one try to get it into a 2-2-4-4
Floyd | pattern if possible. Otherwise push Reset and try again.
Floyd | - From there just keep the rows evenly matched until it's down to 2-1.
Floyd | Take the 2 and Bob's your uncle!
Floyd |
Floyd | There's one page left. It contains a single note.
Floyd | Or I could just blow it off and use the access card J.D.W. gave me.
Floyd |
Floyd | You turn the final page, but all that remains is the notebook's back
Floyd | cover. And taped to the inside of that is a paper sleeve containing a
Floyd | white plastic access card.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says, "God, this DEFINATELY can't be done in black and white."

Floyd | The sliding steel door is closed, and you see no way to open it. It
Floyd | looks like the elevator is your only way out.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "l"

Floyd | Elevator Room
Floyd | This small, windowless room has bare metal walls and two exits - the
Floyd | sliding steel door you entered through to the south, and a pair of
Floyd | elevator doors ahead of you to the north. It is lit by a recessed
Floyd | fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The elevator doors are standing
Floyd | open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "out"

Floyd | The sliding steel door is closed, and you see no way to open it. It
Floyd | looks like the elevator is your only way out.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "enter doors"

Floyd | Elevator Car
Floyd | The insides of elevator cars tend to all look alike, and this one is
Floyd | no exception. At least the control panel is much simpler. It only
Floyd | has one button, marked RUN.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The control panel inside the elevator is much simpler. It only has
Floyd | one button, marked RUN.
Floyd |
Floyd | The elevator continues to move steadily upward.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "z"

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd | The elevator slows to a stop. The doors whoosh open. You look out
Floyd | onto a long, beautifully appointed hallway. You sigh with relief.
Floyd | You've finally made it into the main part of the mansion. Elated, you
Floyd | step out of the elevator and into the hall. The elevator doors whoosh
Floyd | closed behind you.
Floyd |
Floyd | You're still trying to figure out which way to go when a heavyset
Floyd | figure in a black tuxedo steps out of the shadows to stand directly in
Floyd | front of you. You recognize him instantly. The butler!
Floyd |
Floyd | Your mind whirls. Fight, or flee? The elevator doors are closed
Floyd | behind you. You're at the far end of the hall so the only way you can
Floyd | go is toward the butler. You look around for a weapon. A suit of
Floyd | armor holding a double-bladed axe would be about right. Then
Floyd | suddenly, and without warning, the butler does something totally
Floyd | unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | He smiles, and bows.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Good, evening, and welcome to Seacliff. Mr. Winton is expecting you.
Floyd | If you will be so kind as to follow me I will take you to his study."
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler's guttural grunts and snarls have completely vanished. He
Floyd | speaks to you with a perfect clipped British accent. You're stunned.
Floyd | A thousand questions flood your mind.
Floyd |
Floyd | Main Hall
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton's mansion has the kind of tasteful elegance that
Floyd | only the seriously wealthy can afford. The floor is Italian marble.
Floyd | Groupings of antique furniture sit on Persian rugs. Impressionist
Floyd | paintings hang on the walls. The skylight is Tiffany stained glass.
Floyd | And that's just the hall. You can't even imagine what the rooms must
Floyd | be like.
Floyd |
Floyd | You're standing at the far north end of the mansion's main hall. The
Floyd | closed entrance doors can be seen at the other end of the hall. The
Floyd | elevator doors, also closed, are directly behind you to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing here. He is waiting for you to follow him to
Floyd | Mr. Winton's study.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "follow butler"

Floyd | He sets off down the hall at a brisk pace. You fall in behind him.
Floyd |
Floyd | The hall branches left and right. You pass open doors leading into a
Floyd | regal dining room, a huge mahogany-paneled library overflowing with
Floyd | leather-bound volumes, a comfortably appointed study, and an atrium
Floyd | filled with exotic plants. You finally turn right down a side hall
Floyd | and stop before a closed door.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Mr. Winton's study," the butler informs you. He glances
Floyd | disapprovingly at your somewhat rumpled appearance. "I will knock and
Floyd | announce your arrival when you are ready."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Hey, thanks to you I've had a pretty rough day," you grumble as you
Floyd | tuck in your shirt. You do your best to imitate his first words to
Floyd | you. "You have appointment?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler grins. "All part of the first-class service visitors to
Floyd | Seacliff have come to expect."
Floyd |
Floyd | Ignoring him for the moment, you run your fingers through your tousled
Floyd | hair, take in a deep breath, and let it out. You decide that short of
Floyd | a shower and a change of clothes, you're as ready to meet the famously
Floyd | reclusive J. Daggett Winton as you're going to be. You catch the
Floyd | butler's eye and nod.
Floyd |
Floyd | Study Entrance
Floyd | You are standing in a short side hallway just outside J. Daggett
Floyd | Winton's study door. Its wainscoted walls are hung with portraits of
Floyd | his Winton ancestors going back to Captain Darren Lamont Winton III.
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler is standing here. He is waiting for you to follow him into
Floyd | Mr. Winton's study.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "follow butler"

Floyd | He steps up to the door and knocks firmly. You hear a deep, assertive
Floyd | voice respond, "Come in."
Floyd |
Floyd | The butler opens the door and announces you. He steps aside. The
Floyd | moment you've been working toward has finally arrived. You tuck the
Floyd | package firmly under your arm and step into J. Daggett Winton's
Floyd | private study. His task complete, the butler departs, closing the
Floyd | door behind you.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett smiles and offers his hand. Once you're comfortably seated
Floyd | in his guest chair he gets right to the point. "I believe you have
Floyd | something for me."
Floyd |
Floyd | Study
Floyd | You expected a dimly-lit chamber filled with dark leather furniture
Floyd | and smelling of single-malt scotch and cigar smoke. You're surprised
Floyd | to discover that J. Daggett's study is light, airy, and quite modern.
Floyd | Instead of oak and mahogany the walls and bookcases are made from
Floyd | natural cherry. Dozens of sticky-notes litter his expansive desk. It
Floyd | is also home to two large flat-screen computer terminals and an array
Floyd | of state-of-the-art communications equipment. Message lights flash.
Floyd | Market quotes scroll across one terminal. The other is
Floyd | teleconferenced into a board meeting of some kind.
Floyd |
Floyd | The second big surprise is J. Daggett Winton himself. He still looks
Floyd | like the same swarthy, ruggedly-handsome businessman/adventurer who
Floyd | used to be featured in the news on an almost daily basis. A little
Floyd | older, a little wearier perhaps. But the glint of brilliance in his
Floyd | keen gray eyes hasn't dimmed in the least. However the information
Floyd | about the accident that had taken Emmeline's life hadn't included any
Floyd | mention of his own injuries. There is no office chair behind his
Floyd | desk. It has been removed to make room for his high-tech powered
Floyd | wheelchair.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to deliver the package.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "give package to winton"

Floyd | You've carried the package so long that you're almost reluctant to
Floyd | part with it. But clearly the time has come to do just that. You
Floyd | rise slightly and place it in J. Daggett's outstretched hands.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Ah, finally," he beams. He checks the wrapping paper to make sure it
Floyd | hasn't been tampered with. Slipping a finger under a taped seam he
Floyd | tears it open.
Floyd |
Floyd | You guessed it might be a book, and you are correct. But what kind of
Floyd | book? A rare Gutenberg Bible, or perhaps one of Leonardo da Vinci's
Floyd | lost notebooks? Your pulse quickens with excitement. You lean
Floyd | forward and just manage to catch sight of the dust jacket.
Floyd |
Floyd | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Floyd | by J.K. Rowling
Floyd |
Floyd | "Stunned" doesn't even begin to describe how you feel. It slowly
Floyd | sinks in that you have risked life and limb to deliver a Harry Potter
Floyd | book to J. Daggett Winton! But then again, maybe there's something
Floyd | special about this particular copy of this particular Harry Potter
Floyd | book. Perhaps it is a signed first-edition of some kind with a
Floyd | personal note from J.K. Rowling herself inscribed inside the cover.
Floyd |
Floyd | Then you see the little blue sticker on the cover.
Floyd |
Floyd | WAL*MART
Floyd | $13.99
Floyd |
Floyd | You slump into your chair like a deflated balloon! At least J.
Floyd | Daggett seems happy enough with it. He thumbs the pages, checks the
Floyd | binding, then turns and slides it onto the bookshelf behind him. You
Floyd | do notice that it fits neatly into one of the few gaps in the
Floyd | overflowing shelves, and that it is sitting next to books 1 & 2 of the
Floyd | series.
Floyd |
Floyd | You finally manage to regain enough of your composure to realize that
Floyd | J. Daggett has been watching your reaction to the package's contents
Floyd | with great amusement. Smiling broadly, he says, "I'm sure you have a
Floyd | number of questions running through your mind right now. You have my
Floyd | full attention, and my gratitude for a job well done. Please feel
Floyd | free to ask anything you like."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about himself, the package, Emmeline, the butler,
Floyd | the gardener, the groundskeeper, the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or
Floyd | give him the gold lighter, or the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "oh geez"

WeirdBeard says, "POA was a great book! It was worth it!"

DavidW says, "I liked it, sure, but..."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about package"

Floyd | You still can't believe that everything you've been through was for
Floyd | the sole purpose of delivering a Harry Potter book. There just has to
Floyd | be more to it than that. But what? Not sure how J. Daggett might
Floyd | react to your questioning his motives, you proceed carefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I hope that you received everything you were, uh, expecting."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett's eyes twinkle with concealed amusement. "Oh yes, I
Floyd | certainly did. In fact I'm quite pleased with both of your deliveries
Floyd | today."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Both?" you ask in puzzlement.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yes, both. And no, there are no secret messages written in invisible
Floyd | ink on the wrapping paper. But we still have a few other things we
Floyd | need to discuss before I tell you what that second delivery actually
Floyd | was."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about himself, Emmeline, the butler, the gardener,
Floyd | the groundskeeper, the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the gold
Floyd | lighter, or the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about himself"

Floyd | "I've heard a great deal about you," you say politely. "I'm glad to
Floyd | finally have the chance to meet you in person."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Not too disappointed I hope," J. Daggett replies. "I manage my
Floyd | public image almost as carefully as I manage my businesses. Or at
Floyd | least I did before the accident. After that I had more pressing
Floyd | matters to attend to."
Floyd |
Floyd | He pauses reflectively for a moment then clears his throat. "Anyway,
Floyd | let's just say that the real J. Daggett Winton is more interested in
Floyd | making discoveries than in making money, prefers a cold beer to fine
Floyd | wine, can't resist a challenge, wins with grace, and tries to never
Floyd | lose the same way twice.
Floyd |
Floyd | Now let's move on to something more interesting than me, shall we."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about Emmeline, the butler, the gardener, the
Floyd | groundskeeper, the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the gold
Floyd | lighter, or the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "give lighter to daggett"

Floyd | You reach into your pocket and pull out the gold lighter. Showing it
Floyd | to J. Daggett, you say, "I came across this while I was in the garage.
Floyd | It was under the Jaguar. Based on the inscription I assume it belongs
Floyd | to you."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett's fingers almost tremble as he takes the lighter from you.
Floyd | He gently rubs it between his palms to feel the familiar heft and
Floyd | smoothness of its polished surface, then holding it up to the light he
Floyd | reads the inscription. He sighs happily. "I've been looking all over
Floyd | for this. It was a first anniversary gift from Emmeline. It was
Floyd | under the Jaguar you say? No wonder I couldn't find it! Thank you
Floyd | for returning it."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about Emmeline, the butler, the gardener, the
Floyd | groundskeeper, the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the spiral
Floyd | notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about emmeline"

Floyd | Normally you would avoid bringing up something as clearly painful as
Floyd | the loss of someone's wife, but the more you talk to J. Daggett the
Floyd | more she seems to somehow be related to the package you just
Floyd | delivered. Even so, you decide to proceed carefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I read the inscription on the gold lighter I found. Your wife seems
Floyd | like someone very special."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Very special indeed," J. Daggett replies softly. After a moment his
Floyd | voice firms. "But we still have a few other things we need to discuss
Floyd | before I tell you any more about Emmeline."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about the butler, the gardener, the groundskeeper,
Floyd | the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about butler"

Floyd | "I had a bit of a run-in with your butler. Then when I met him again
Floyd | in the hall, he was a completely different person. Does he have an
Floyd | evil twin or something?"
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett laughs and replies, "No, no evil twin. Harold has many
Floyd | talents, not the least of which is acting. He also has an MBA from
Floyd | Oxford, a beautiful wife, three kids, and thanks to generations of
Floyd | shrewd investing, so much money in the family that if I ever needed a
Floyd | loan I'd go to him first. I keep trying to get him to run one of my
Floyd | corporations, but he just likes being a butler. His family has been
Floyd | with ours since the sailing days, and for him, it's a matter of honor
Floyd | and tradition."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett smiles in fond memory. "You know, we grew up together
Floyd | here. We had a great time poking around this huge old place. He is
Floyd | as true a friend as a person could ever ask for. I owe him a great
Floyd | deal, including my life. But before I tell you that story I need to
Floyd | show you something important."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the gardener, the groundskeeper,
Floyd | the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about triton"

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the gardener, the groundskeeper,
Floyd | the salesmen, or Harry Potter, or give him the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about harry potter"

Floyd | You try not to sound too peevish. "You must be quite a Harry Potter
Floyd | fan."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett completely ignores any hint of hidden meaning that might
Floyd | lie within your question and answers simply, "Yes, I am as a matter of
Floyd | fact. The books are superbly written and tell a great story. I'm
Floyd | really looking forward to reading the one you just delivered."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the gardener, the groundskeeper,
Floyd | or the salesmen, or give him the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about salesmen"

Floyd | "So what's the story on torturing salesmen anyway?"
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett laughs. "Purely a scare tactic. The plaque by the door
Floyd | keeps most of them away. The few who persist get one look at the
Floyd | rack, a quite harmless theatrical prop I might add, and flee for their
Floyd | lives. Only one actual salesperson has ever made it all the way into
Floyd | my study. A fellow by the name of Splatz I believe. He thought my
Floyd | garden shed could really use some vinyl siding. Ha!"
Floyd |
Floyd | "And what happened to him?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Good question." J. Daggett touches one of the buttons on the arm of
Floyd | his wheelchair and asks, "Harold, whatever happened to that Dwayne
Floyd | Splatz salesman guy, the one that actually made it past you?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Harold's response is immediate and sounds just a tad disgruntled. "I
Floyd | believe you made him V.P. of Sales and Marketing for Winton
Floyd | International, Sir."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett nods. "Ah yes, so I did. Thank you Harold." Looking back
Floyd | at you, he adds, "If there's anything I've learned about hiring good
Floyd | people, it's to go for initiative first."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the gardener, or the
Floyd | groundskeeper, or give him the spiral notebook.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "So what happened with the puzzle? Did I miss something?"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "give notebook to daggett"

Floyd | You pull the spiral notebook out of your pocket and hand it to J.
Floyd | Daggett. "I found this um, downstairs somewhere. I think it belongs
Floyd | to the butler."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett picks it up, glances at it, and slips it into his pocket.
Floyd | "Thanks. I'll make sure Harold gets it back. I'm having a yen for
Floyd | some of his famous Thai Red Beef Curry, and he can never remember if
Floyd | the recipe calls or one teaspoon of fish sauce, or one tablespoon."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the gardener, or the
Floyd | groundskeeper.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I put the card in the slot and went directly from one elevator to a 2nd one."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about the gardener"

Floyd | J. Daggett smiles fondly at your mention of the aged gardener. "My
Floyd | great grandfather loved the sea. My grandfather has always preferred
Floyd | solid ground. He just loves puttering around in the greenhouse." His
Floyd | grin widens. "He's also pretty good at keeping Earl on his toes."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, or the groundskeeper.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about earl"

Floyd | "I found a shirt outside that had the name Earl on it. Is he your
Floyd | groundskeeper?"
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett nods. "Head groundskeeper actually. He and his staff are
Floyd | responsible for maintaining the entire estate, and they are very, very
Floyd | good at what they do. Normally you would have seen a few of them
Floyd | about, but today happens to be their day off."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about his story"

Floyd | Your original mission is complete. You have met the great J. Daggett
Floyd | Winton and delivered your package. But you're far from ready to just
Floyd | walk out the door. Too many questions remain unanswered. You decide
Floyd | it's time to take J. Daggett up on his offer.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You mentioned earlier that you have something important you want to
Floyd | show me, and a story to tell?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Yes I do," J. Daggett replies firmly. "If you have no further
Floyd | questions then we can be on our way. Just follow me when you're
Floyd | ready."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about jaguar"

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about squirrel"

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "I guess we should follow him"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "l"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "ask dagget his story"

Floyd | Study (sitting on the guest chair)
Floyd | You expected a dimly-lit chamber filled with dark leather furniture
Floyd | and smelling of single-malt scotch and cigar smoke. You're surprised
Floyd | to discover that J. Daggett's study is light, airy, and quite modern.
Floyd | Instead of oak and mahogany the walls and bookcases are made from
Floyd | natural cherry. Dozens of sticky-notes litter his expansive desk. It
Floyd | is also home to two large flat-screen computer terminals and an array
Floyd | of state-of-the-art communications equipment. Message lights flash.
Floyd | Market quotes scroll across one terminal. The other is
Floyd | teleconferenced into a board meeting of some kind.
Floyd |
Floyd | The second big surprise is J. Daggett Winton himself. He still looks
Floyd | like the same swarthy, ruggedly-handsome businessman/adventurer who
Floyd | used to be featured in the news on an almost daily basis. A little
Floyd | older, a little wearier perhaps. But the glint of brilliance in his
Floyd | keen gray eyes hasn't dimmed in the least. However the information
Floyd | about the accident that had taken Emmeline's life hadn't included any
Floyd | mention of his own injuries. There is no office chair behind his
Floyd | desk. It has been removed to make room for his high-tech powered
Floyd | wheelchair.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to either follow him or ask your next question.
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask winton about wheelchair"

Floyd | J. Daggett looks thoughtful. Finally he says, "An interesting topic
Floyd | for another time. But for now there are more important things we need
Floyd | to discuss."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x wheelchair"

Floyd | J. Daggett's motorized wheelchair looks like it's much more than just
Floyd | transportation. Judging from the array of controls and readouts built
Floyd | into the chair's arms you would guess that it also serves as his
Floyd | mobile command center. You have no doubt he designed it himself.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "follow daggett"

Floyd | "I'm ready to go if you are."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett responds by touching a control on the arm of his
Floyd | wheelchair. A motor hums to life and his desk starts to smoothly
Floyd | rotate out of the way. At the same time, a bookshelf in the north
Floyd | wall of the study swings back to reveal a short, well lit corridor.
Floyd | The humming stops.
Floyd |
Floyd | Gesturing toward the opening, he says, "We'll take the back way down."
Floyd |
Floyd | You fall in behind his wheelchair. The short hallway leads to another
Floyd | elevator. This one doesn't have any visible controls; therefore you
Floyd | assume it must be operated remotely from the wheelchair. Your guess
Floyd | is confirmed when the doors open as J. Daggett approaches, then close
Floyd | behind you.
Floyd |
Floyd | The descent is brief. The elevator quickly slows to a stop and the
Floyd | doors whoosh open. Banks of overhead lights flicker to life. Your
Floyd | jaw drops in amazement. You're so overwhelmed that it takes a moment
Floyd | for you to realize that J. Daggett has moved forward. You trot after
Floyd | him.
Floyd |
Floyd | Artifacts Chamber
Floyd | The chamber is huge and crammed floor to ceiling with a dazzling array
Floyd | of historical artifacts. There are Renaissance masterpieces, Grecian
Floyd | sculptures, numerous statues from the Egyptian and Roman pantheons,
Floyd | Aztec and Mayan figurines, suits of samurai armor, a troop of Emperor
Floyd | Qin Shi Huang's terra cotta soldiers, and that's just what's setting
Floyd | out around you. Chests and packing cases are stacked everywhere. You
Floyd | half expect to see the crated Ark of the Covenant being wheeled off in
Floyd | the distance.
Floyd |
Floyd | The elevator doors lie behind you to the north. The only clear path
Floyd | you can see through the stacked crates continues southward. Several
Floyd | rather unusual pieces near where you're standing arouse your
Floyd | curiosity.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to either follow him further or ask another question.
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about the collection, or his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "It's all that remains of the Colossus of Rhodes," J. Daggett sighs.
Floyd | "The rest was supposedly sold as scrap to a traveling salesman from
Floyd | Edessa. What a sad end to a great work of art. And don't even get me
Floyd | started on traveling salesmen!"
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, the pair of marble arms, or the
Floyd | carved limestone nose.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about nose"

Floyd | "There's a rumor that Napoleon's troops shot it off for target
Floyd | practice. Another account attributes the vandalism to Muhammad Sa'im
Floyd | al-Dahr. He was a Sufi fanatic and supposedly did it to dissuade the
Floyd | locals from making offerings to the Sphinx in hope of increasing their
Floyd | harvest. In any case Granddad found this piece on one of his trips to
Floyd | Giza. It looks to me like it just broke off on its own."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story, or the pair of marble arms.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about arms"

Floyd | "Ah yes, those," J. Daggett chuckles. "I suppose I should donate them
Floyd | to the Louvre, but people these days are accustomed to seeing the
Floyd | Venus de Milo without them."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "ask daggett about story"

Floyd | You look around in amazement. "This is an incredible collection, but
Floyd | I have a feeling it's not what you wanted to show me."
Floyd |
Floyd | "You are correct," J. Daggett acknowledges. "That lies just ahead.
Floyd | Follow me."
Floyd |
Floyd | (You could ask him about his story.)
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "follow daggett"

Floyd | You again fall in behind J. Daggett's wheelchair. The path through
Floyd | the stacked crates leads to a heavy steel door. It rolls smoothly
Floyd | upward as you approach, revealing darkness beyond. J. Daggett
Floyd | continues a few feet inside and stops. He motions for you to join
Floyd | him.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett's voice is strangely hushed. "We have reached our
Floyd | destination. I'm going to close the door, and when I do, it will be
Floyd | almost completely dark. But don't worry, there's nothing in here that
Floyd | can harm you. We need a little time for our eyes to adjust. And
Floyd | while they do, I will tell you my story."
Floyd |
Floyd | Dark Chamber
Floyd | It's too dark to do anything but wait.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "ask daggett about thumb"

Floyd | You see no daggett here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "z"

Floyd | J. Daggett begins his story.
Floyd |
Floyd | "The first time I met Emmeline we were on the face of a cliff. I was
Floyd | headed up. She was on her way down. We stopped on a ledge for a bit
Floyd | of a chat. I was very impressed by her skill as a climber; and when
Floyd | we met again a day later at a dinner party, I was even more impressed
Floyd | by her grace and beauty. We continued to see each other and were
Floyd | married within six months.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoShe was a bit overwhelmed by Seacliff at first, but it didn't
Floyd | take her long to settle in. She charmed Harold immediately, and he
Floyd | really helped her feel at home. She especially loved to explore the
Floyd | grounds, and she was delighted the day I showed her the entrance to
Floyd | the caves in the basement. The cliffs around here are riddled with
Floyd | them. Some of them go back for miles. Exploring them together soon
Floyd | became one of our favorite activities.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoThe day of the accident, we were headed for a large chamber we
Floyd | had named The Cathedral. Emmeline was in an excellent mood. I could
Floyd | tell she had some kind of good news she wanted to share with me. The
Floyd | Cathedral was one of our favorite places to sit and talk.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoThe only challenge along the route is a sheer descent of about
Floyd | thirty feet down a chasm wall, but we had been up and down it dozens
Floyd | of times before and we had no trouble with it that day. We were
Floyd | almost there when Em noticed a fresh rock fall, and the new opening
Floyd | that it had exposed. Of course, we had to see where it led."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "z"

Floyd | As you wait in the darkness, you slowly become aware of a faint blue
Floyd | glow. It seems to be floating in the air about five feet in front of
Floyd | you. J. Daggett continues his narrative.
Floyd |
Floyd | "The passage beyond opened quickly into a domed chamber. The walls
Floyd | were polished smooth and had about a dozen small niches cut into them.
Floyd | The center of the chamber was dominated by a wide stone arch. It was
Floyd | about twelve feet tall and covered with a strange flowing script in a
Floyd | language neither of us had seen before. The niches were empty, save
Floyd | for one. It contained a small silver-blue bracelet.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoThe bracelet was metallic and heavy like gold or platinum might
Floyd | be. The outside was polished smooth, but the inside had more of the
Floyd | same flowing script engraved around it. There were no other exits
Floyd | from the room that we could find; and looking at that arch, we
Floyd | couldn't help but think sci-fi..."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett smiles slightly in memory. "Take your pick. Stargate?
Floyd | The Time Tunnel? 'Beam me up, Scotty?' I stepped through it first.
Floyd | Nothing. Em got the idea to slip on the bracelet and try it. Still
Floyd | nothing. Oh well. We took a few pictures and headed back.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoI made it through the opening without any trouble. Em had just
Floyd | started through when the rocks gave way again."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "z"

Floyd | You continue to wait. The blue glow looks a bit brighter now. It
Floyd | appears to be coming from a supine human figure, probably lying on a
Floyd | platform of some kind. The figure is feminine and completely still.
Floyd | You don't believe in ghosts. But, could it possibly be...
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett's voice is filled with emotion when he begins to speak
Floyd | again.

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x glow"

Floyd |
Floyd | "It took me almost twenty minutes of frantic digging with my hands and
Floyd | climbing axe to free her. The rocks and loose soil hadn't crushed
Floyd | her, but they had buried her. That much time with no air...
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoAfter that, all I could do was try to carry her body back. I
Floyd | remember nothing of the return trip until I reached the chasm. I was
Floyd | almost at the top when my footing gave way. We both tumbled to the
Floyd | floor below.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoI regained consciousness hours later. My torch was smashed. I
Floyd | couldn't move my legs. I figured I would simply die where I lay. And
Floyd | to be perfectly honest, by that time I was looking forward to doing
Floyd | just that. I did notice a faint blue glow surrounding Em's body, but
Floyd | I was too far gone to even care what it was. I was still holding her
Floyd | in my arms when Harold found us."
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | It's still too dark to make out any detail. You continue to wait.
Floyd | You can see the figure a bit more clearly, and you have no doubt now
Floyd | that it's Emmeline. She's lying on some kind of table in the center
Floyd | of the room. Her eyes are closed. Her features are serenely
Floyd | composed. She is still dressed in khakis and climbing boots as though
Floyd | she had walked out of the cave moments before and stretched out for a
Floyd | bit of a nap. Her entire body is surrounded by the strange blue glow.
Floyd | She is startlingly beautiful. You are so struck by the sight that it
Floyd | takes you a moment to realize that J. Daggett has continued his
Floyd | narrative.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Harold took care of everything. Doctors, police, Em's funeral
Floyd | arrangements, all of it. I was so deeply depressed that I didn't care
Floyd | if I lived or died. Then about a month after the accident, Harold
Floyd | finally felt I was well enough for him to tell me that he had secretly
Floyd | arranged to have an empty casket cremated. He too had discovered the
Floyd | blue glow. And even stranger, he had found that it was impossible to
Floyd | penetrate. A needle would stop microns short of actual contact.
Floyd | X-rays just bounced off. It was as if she was encased in some kind of
Floyd | force field. He couldn't even be sure if she was dead or alive.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoAfter that I couldn't wait to get out of the hospital. I had to
Floyd | know. I put every ounce of energy and determination I had into my
Floyd | rehabilitation, but it still took me almost six months to get mobile
Floyd | again. The only thing that made it bearable was Harold's continued
Floyd | assurance that Em's condition remained completely unchanged."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "z"

Floyd | You continue to wait. J. Daggett pauses just long enough to turn the
Floyd | lights up a bit.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can now see that the entire back wall of the room is stacked with
Floyd | racks of lab instruments. All of them are powered off. Emmeline is
Floyd | lying in front of them on a padded exam table. J. Daggett touches one
Floyd | of the controls on his wheelchair and all the equipment comes to life
Floyd | at the same time. Lights flash, traces start scanning across
Floyd | monitors, computer screens display boot up sequences. He scans the
Floyd | instruments quickly, then turns back to you.
Floyd |
Floyd | "As soon as I got back here I set up this lab and tried everything I
Floyd | could think of to get some kind of reading from inside the field with
Floyd | no success. I could see her, but I couldn't touch her. It finally
Floyd | occurred to me to try time-lapse photography. I set it up to capture
Floyd | any hint of movement inside the field, no matter how slow or faint.
Floyd | And I found it. A visible pulsing of the carotid artery. One
Floyd | heartbeat every twenty-seven and a half hours. She was alive!"
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett leans forward. "I knew where the field was coming from of
Floyd | course. She hadn't removed the bracelet after walking through the
Floyd | arch, and she was still wearing it when the passage collapsed. But it
Floyd | was inside the field with her and untouchable.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoI've spent over two years now trying to figure out how the
Floyd | bracelet works. It has to be generating some kind of stasis field.
Floyd | My best guess is that it's a protective device. The falling rocks
Floyd | activated it. But why hadn't it turned back off? I've also had no
Floyd | luck trying to determine its origin. The script on the arch has
Floyd | proved to be unique. I needed to try a different approach."
Floyd |
Floyd | His story complete, J. Daggett sags back in his chair and fixes you
Floyd | with a steady gaze. Finally he asks, "So, have you figured out what
Floyd | your second delivery was yet?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to respond yes or no.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "So do we want to say yes?"

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "say yes"

Floyd | "Yes, I believe I've figured it out. Your research into the bracelet
Floyd | from this end has stalled. You can't go back down into the caves and
Floyd | find the answer yourself. You need me to do it for you. I'm the
Floyd | second delivery."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett beams. "Exactly! I need someone who can solve problems,
Floyd | overcome obstacles, and prevail in the face of adversity. The fact
Floyd | that you're standing here proves that you can do that, and more. The
Floyd | only question that remains is, will you?"
Floyd |
Floyd | He stops your immediate response with a raised hand. "Before you
Floyd | answer there are two additional things you should know. The first is
Floyd | that the other two Harry Potter books on the shelf in my study were
Floyd | also delivered by highly skilled individuals. Harry Potter and the
Floyd | Sorcerer's Stone arrived by way of an ex-Navy SEAL. Harry Potter and
Floyd | the Chamber of Secrets was handed to me by a woman who reminded me
Floyd | very much of Emmeline herself. Both went into the caves. Neither has
Floyd | returned."
Floyd |
Floyd | You think about that for a moment before finally asking, "And the
Floyd | second thing I should know?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "We had both wanted children, but the doctors had told us Em couldn't.
Floyd | Just before we left the chamber containing the arch, Em told me her
Floyd | good news. She had proved the doctors wrong. She was going to have a
Floyd | baby."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett is again watching you carefully, trying to gauge your
Floyd | reaction to everything he's told you. Finally he says, "So now you
Floyd | have to make a choice. The entrance to the cave is through the wooden
Floyd | door to the west. The way out is through the steel door behind you.
Floyd | If you choose it, I have misjudged you; and it is best that our
Floyd | relationship ends here. You can pick up whatever trinket you feel
Floyd | you've earned as payment as you leave.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoIf you choose to go on I don't need to talk about fame or
Floyd | fortune or glory because you're not motivated by them. In that case,
Floyd | all I can say further is, 'Good luck, and Godspeed'."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says, "No. Cause I don't know what the 2nd item was."

DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask daggett about baby"

Floyd | There is nothing left to discuss.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x arch"

Floyd | The word "arch" is not necessary in this story.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard asks, "So, west?"

DavidW says, "yes, but look a little"

DavidW says (to Floyd), "l"

Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "x emmeline"

Floyd | Emmeline is lying on a padded examination table in the center of the
Floyd | room. Her eyes are closed. Her features are serenely composed. She
Floyd | is still dressed in khakis and climbing boots, as though she had
Floyd | walked out of the cave moments before and stretched out for a bit of a
Floyd | nap. Now that the lights are on you can no longer see the strange
Floyd | blue glow that you know still surrounds her body. She is startlingly
Floyd | beautiful. She is lying.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "touch emmeline"

Floyd | That is neither necessary or appropriate.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "w"

Floyd | You know there is only one choice you can live with: therefore, it
Floyd | really isn't a choice at all.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett gives you everything you might need. Among the climbing
Floyd | gear, first aid kit, and survival rations, you are surprised to notice
Floyd | a shiny brass lantern. Apparently your host is also something of a
Floyd | traditionalist.
Floyd |
Floyd | A final handshake, a last look at Emmeline, and you're on your way.
Floyd | You feel about ten-feet tall as you step through the doorway into
Floyd | darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Oops. You forgot to turn on the dang lantern, again.)
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE WON ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 912 moves, you have scored 24 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW asks, "uh, yay?"

WeirdBeard says, "Huh."

DavidW says, "I sense there's a Part Two to this. Darn it."

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "w".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "touch emmeline".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "x emmeline".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "l".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "ask daggett about baby".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "say yes".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to respond yes or no.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "say no"

Floyd | "I'm not really sure," you respond hesitantly. "My best guess seems a
Floyd | bit..."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Farfetched?" J. Daggett finishes for you. "Think about it. My
Floyd | research into the bracelet from this end has stalled. I can't go back
Floyd | down there and find the answer myself. I need someone to do it for
Floyd | me. Someone who can solve problems, overcome obstacles, and prevail
Floyd | in the face of adversity. In other words, someone like you."
Floyd |
Floyd | "So I am the second delivery then."
Floyd |
Floyd | "That's right," he confirms. "The fact that you're standing here
Floyd | proves that you can do that, and more. The only question that remains
Floyd | is, will you?"
Floyd |
Floyd | He stops your immediate response with a raised hand. "Before you
Floyd | answer there are two additional things you should know. The first is
Floyd | that the other two Harry Potter books on the shelf in my study were
Floyd | also delivered by highly skilled individuals. Harry Potter and the
Floyd | Sorcerer's Stone arrived by way of an ex-Navy SEAL. Harry Potter and
Floyd | the Chamber of Secrets was handed to me by a woman who reminded me
Floyd | very much of Emmeline herself. Both went into the caves. Neither has
Floyd | returned."
Floyd |
Floyd | You think about that for a moment before finally asking, "And the
Floyd | second thing I should know?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "We had both wanted children, but the doctors had told us Em couldn't.
Floyd | Just before we left the chamber containing the arch, Em told me her
Floyd | good news. She had proved the doctors wrong. She was going to have a
Floyd | baby."
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett is again watching you carefully, trying to gauge your
Floyd | reaction to everything he's told you. Finally he says, "So now you
Floyd | have to make a choice. The entrance to the cave is through the wooden
Floyd | door to the west. The way out is through the steel door behind you.
Floyd | If you choose it, I have misjudged you; and it is best that our
Floyd | relationship ends here. You can pick up whatever trinket you feel
Floyd | you've earned as payment as you leave.
Floyd |
Floyd | &ldquoIf you choose to go on I don't need to talk about fame or
Floyd | fortune or glory because you're not motivated by them. In that case,
Floyd | all I can say further is, 'Good luck, and Godspeed'."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "enter steel"

Floyd | J. Daggett's face is expressionless as you turn to walk out. He
Floyd | touches the control to open the steel door, then turns his back on you
Floyd | and rolls over to sit beside his wife. He takes her hand in his and
Floyd | bows his head.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE LOST ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 908 moves, you have scored 23 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "enter steel".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "w"

Floyd | You know there is only one choice you can live with: therefore, it
Floyd | really isn't a choice at all.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett gives you everything you might need. Among the climbing
Floyd | gear, first aid kit, and survival rations, you are surprised to notice
Floyd | a shiny brass lantern. Apparently your host is also something of a
Floyd | traditionalist.
Floyd |
Floyd | A final handshake, a last look at Emmeline, and you're on your way.
Floyd | You feel about ten-feet tall as you step through the doorway into
Floyd | darkness.
Floyd |
Floyd | (Oops. You forgot to turn on the dang lantern, again.)
Floyd |
Floyd | (Your score has just increased by one point.)
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** YOU HAVE WON ***
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | In 908 moves, you have scored 24 of a possible 24 points.
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

DavidW says (to Floyd), "full score"

Floyd | In 908 moves, you have scored 24 of a possible 24 points. Your score
Floyd | consists of:
Floyd | 1 point for obtaining the business card from the butler
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the paddle from the canoe
Floyd | 1 point for finding the forked stick
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the penny from the pond
Floyd | 1 point for catching the grasshopper
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the bobby pin from the nest
Floyd | 1 point for unlocking the garden shed
Floyd | 1 point for receiving the hedge clippers from the gardener
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the gold lighter from under the Jaguar
Floyd | 1 point for restoring power to the bench grinder
Floyd | 1 point for sharpening the hedge clippers with the bench grinder
Floyd | 1 point for receiving the rake and peanut sack from the gardener
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the sales brochure
Floyd | 1 point for getting the acorn from the squirrel
Floyd | 1 point for unlocking the bicycle lock
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the small silver key from Poseidon &
Floyd | Amphitrite
Floyd | 1 point for inflating the inner tube
Floyd | 1 point for retrieving the sample case from the beach
Floyd | 1 point for building the slingshot
Floyd | 1 point for gaining entry to the mansion
Floyd | 1 point for escaping from the dungeon
Floyd | 1 point for opening the elevator doors
Floyd | 1 point for delivering the package to J. Daggett Winton
Floyd | 1 point for accepting J. Daggett's mission
Floyd |
Floyd | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO
Floyd | the last move, see your FULL SCORE, or QUIT?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

WeirdBeard says (to floyd), "undo"

Floyd | Taking back one turn: "w".
Floyd |
Floyd | Emmeline's Chamber
Floyd | The room has been converted into a laboratory. The entire back wall
Floyd | is stacked with racks of lab instruments. Lights flash, traces scan
Floyd | across monitors, status messages scroll up computer screens. Emmeline
Floyd | is lying in front of them on a padded examination table.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old wooden door leads west. The chamber full of artifacts lies
Floyd | behind you to the north. Both doors are closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | J. Daggett Winton is sitting on the wheelchair. He is waiting for you
Floyd | to choose your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >